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Do the Benefits of School Closure Outweigh Its Costs?

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  • Elena Raffetti

    (Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
    Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UK
    Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 113 64 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Giuliano Di Baldassarre

    (Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science, Uppsala University, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden)

Abstract

School closure has been a common response to COVID-19. Yet, its implementation has hardly ever been based on rigorous analysis of its costs and benefits. We aim to first illustrate the unintended consequences and side effects of school closure, and then discuss the policy and research implications. This commentary frames evidence from the most recent papers on the topic from a public-health epidemiology and disaster risk reduction perspective. In particular, we argue that the benefits of school closure in terms of reduced infection rates should be better compared with its costs in terms of both short- and long-term damage on the physical, mental, and social well-being of children and society at large.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Raffetti & Giuliano Di Baldassarre, 2022. "Do the Benefits of School Closure Outweigh Its Costs?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-8, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:5:p:2500-:d:755200
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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