Children under 10 cannot transmit the virus?

[Whatsthis1515]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52470838

What are your thoughts on this? Would be amazing if true

Nobody knows how many teachers have died though as noone is tracking it.

I haven’t looked at the original research so I’m just putting forward a couple of suggestions in response to the idea that something magic happens at 10.

Of course nothing magic happens on someone’s 10th birthday. Those that are drawn to thinking in such black and white terms don’t really have any idea about how this kind of research is done. There are no certainties in such studies, only probabilities. 10 will simply be the age at which there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate with sufficient confidence that transmission doesn’t take place. Someone who is 9 and 364 days is only infinitesimally more likely to be able to transmit than someone who is 10 and 1 day.

less likely...

I don't understand how that can be true. We know they can get it. So why can't they pass it on? They pass on other related viruses, like cold and flu and small children are not the most hygienic creatures! Also why under 10. What happens to change things when they become 10?
I would love it to be true, but I think we need to be cautious. It's very interesting though. It is a very strange virus.

I would agree that this is not a reason to send the primary schools back next week. And that waiting to see how other countries get on and for more research to be done is a prudent course of action.

However, I be cautious about picking holes in the story and trying to rubbish what the experts are saying. We are relying on the bbc quoting small section of presumably longer statements. And some of the meaning may have got lost in translation (I’m assuming the Swiss or German statements were not originally in English!)

Other sources have him saying 'are very rarely infected'
It's possibly a translation error, or a typo by the bbc

In the final two weeks before lockdown school near me were struggling with a skeleton staff as so many were off unwell.

Most would probably have been self-isolating due to underlying conditions or had minor symptoms that were probably just a cold.

We think we’ve had it, as does another family with a child in my daughter’s class. Our children play closely together.

I don’t know if there is a positive side to that. Even if we are to believe that children can’t pass it on, we know for a fact that atm children can catch the virus and some have died. Koch says in the article that children do not get infected and do not transmit the virus. We know they get it. If they were so sure that children didn’t transmit why suggest grandparents should still keep their distance and not baby sit? Sounds like half baked nonsense not scientific theory.

I'm not buying it. children can be infected and can pass it on through touch like anyone else. sounds like an excuse to get kids back in school.

There was a newborn baby in a hospital close to me tested positive

Scientist on sky now

It is clearly a translation error in the BBC article when he suggests children can’t catch it. There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why children wouldn’t be passing it on. Look up the Dutch announcement on it.

Thank you for posting this. There is an interesting discussion on this topic here www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/possible-biological-explanations-for-kids-escape-from-covid-19-67273