Schools can reopen safely even without vaccines for young children, study finds

Even though Covid-19 vaccines are unlikely to be available for children under 12 by the fall, those students can still return safely to in-person instruction at that point, according to a new study, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The study, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that outbreaks are possible if precautions are not taken. But when those students wear masks and maintain physical distancing, the study found that an infected child will pass the virus to fewer than one other student, on average, over a period of 30 days.

The study does not specify how much distancing should happen in schools. The findings of the study are based on a model that simulates Covid-19 transmission in school communities.

More details on the methodology and findings of the study can be found here.