São Paulo – The government of the mayor of the São Paulo capital, Bruno Covas (PSDB), acknowledged today (13) that students in the municipal school system are more protected at home, without going back to school. Data from the 4th phase of the Serological Survey with the families of children enrolled in schools in the city show that 98% of them maintain adherence to social isolation and the use of a mask. The city also presented the review carried out by the Municipal Health Secretariat of studies on Pediatric Multisystemic Inflammatory Syndrome, which, although rare, has already claimed victims in the municipality and in the state of São Paulo, pointing to one more risk potential for the reopening of schools.

In the case of the inflammatory syndrome, the Assistant Secretary of Health, Edjane Maria Torreão, presented data from a follow-up study with 570 children who had covid-19, conducted in the United States. Of the total, one third of the cases were mild, but another third manifested the inflammatory syndrome at some point. In Brazil, a study in Amazonas identified 11 cases of the disease. Two children died. Another, carried out by the Medical School of USP, with 371 children, identified 66 positive cases of covid-19 and six cases of inflammatory syndrome.

Edjane also presented data that confirm that children, even asymptomatic, have a higher viral load than adults who presented severe cases and needed to be admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU). And that the number of asymptomatic children is double the number of adults in the same condition: 70% and 35%, respectively. On the other hand, the prevalence of the disease among teachers is equivalent to that of home office workers (7.8%), which shows a great potential for contamination among professionals.

The data from this phase of the Serological Survey also consolidate that the prevalence of the disease among children is higher than in adults: 16% in students, 13% in adults. However, the city considers that this is due to contamination that occurred at home, of children being infected by adults who need to go out to work for example.

Despite this, Covas said that only next Thursday (22) he will present the decision on the return to school in the city of São Paulo. “We should have the result of the first phase of the census that we are carrying out with all teachers and students in the municipal network next week, on Thursday of next week. With that, we must have the decision in relation to the classes from the 3rd of November, if it continues with the extracurricular activities or if we will have any return (from the regular classes) ”, he affirmed.