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School closure, COVID ‐19 and lunch programme: Unprecedented undernutrition crisis in low‐middle income countries
Author(s) -
Mayurasakorn Korapat,
Pinsawas Bonggochpass,
Mongkolsucharitkul Pichanun,
Sranacharoenpong Kitti,
Damapong Sanga
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/jpc.15018
Subject(s) - medicine , closure (psychology) , pandemic , malnutrition , transmission (telecommunications) , covid-19 , environmental health , economic growth , development economics , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , economics , pathology , electrical engineering , market economy , engineering
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has affected nearly 70% of children and teenagers around the world due to school closure policies. School closure is implemented widely in order to prevent viral transmission and its impact on the broader community, based on preliminary recommendations and evidence from influenza. However, there is debate with regard to the effectiveness of school closures. Growing evidence suggests that a child's SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is often mild or asymptomatic and that children may not be major SARS‐CoV‐2 transmitters; thus, it is questionable if school closures prevent transmission significantly. This question is important as a majority of children in low‐ and middle‐income countries depend on free school meals; unexpected long‐term school closure may adversely impact nutrition and educational outcomes. Food insecurity is expected to be higher during the pandemic. In this viewpoint, we argue for a more thorough exploration of potential adverse impacts of school closures in low‐ and middle‐income countries and recommend actions to ensure that the health and learning needs of vulnerable populations are met in this time of crisis.

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