NEW YORK: According to a new study, hybrid learning, which involves children attending school on alternate days, reduces the transmission of disease in the community significantly.

The study published in the journal BMC Public Health, total closure in favour of remote learning delivers little additional benefit over the hybrid alternative. The findings suggest that this research will aid decision-makers in the case of another Covid-19 outbreak or another infectious illness outbreak of a similar nature.

"Early in the pandemic, when school closures were becoming the norm, many disputed the benefits and drawbacks of this policy," said Georgia Institute of Technology researcher Pinar Keskinocak. "Do we obtain enough benefit to compensate for the social expenses and educational consequences? This study suggests that infection reduction has a benefit, even in the absence of effective pharmaceutical therapies, and that the majority of the advantages can be achieved using a hybrid strategy "Keskinocak went on to say.

Researchers projected the impact of various school reopening strategies, including complete closure, alternating school days where one cohort attended in person twice a week and another cohort on the opposite days, younger children only, and regular, using an agent-based simulation model of Covid-19 spread.

When compared to schools reopening with regular attendance, the percentage of the population affected decreased by 13, 11, 9, and 6%, respectively, with each technique.  The findings showed that some amount of closure, such as for smaller children only, on alternate days, and entirely remote, reduces community-wide illnesses significantly.

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