Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the extent to which schools are struggling with the provision of safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). To describe the WASH conditions in schools and discuss the implications for the safe reopening of schools during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on WASH in schools in low- and middle-income countries was performed. In April 2021, five databases, including MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, AJOL, and LILACS, were used to identify studies. Sixty-five papers met the inclusion criteria. We extracted and analyzed data considering the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) definitions and the normative contents of Human Rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. Publications included in this systematic review considered 18,465 schools, across 30 different countries. Results indicate a lack of adequate WASH conditions and menstrual hygiene management requirements in all countries. The largely insufficient and inadequate school infrastructure hampers students to practice healthy hygiene habits and handwashing in particular. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, being hindered to implement such a key strategy to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the school environment is of major concern.
Highlights
IntroductionDiseases 2019 (COVID-19), rapidly spread throughout the world despite numerous national and international efforts aimed at its containment [1]
The transition between the years of 2019 and 2020 was marked by the emergence of several cases of atypical pneumonia in Wuhan, China, which would be later confirmed as cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused by a novel coronavirus [1].The SARS-CoV-2 virus, as the etiologic agent was named, associated with CoronavirusDiseases 2019 (COVID-19), rapidly spread throughout the world despite numerous national and international efforts aimed at its containment [1]
It initially appeared that young children were less susceptible to SARSCoV-2, and generally when infected with COVID-19 they had a relatively mild course, the number of children and young people admitted to hospital during the pandemic has increased with the emergence of new variants [3–6]
Summary
Diseases 2019 (COVID-19), rapidly spread throughout the world despite numerous national and international efforts aimed at its containment [1]. Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 a pandemic [2]. It initially appeared that young children were less susceptible to SARSCoV-2, and generally when infected with COVID-19 they had a relatively mild course, the number of children and young people admitted to hospital during the pandemic has increased with the emergence of new variants [3–6]. Despite respective media reports [5,6], evidence indicating that new variants of coronavirus may spread more in children is lacking. An increasing number of complete or incomplete Kawasaki disease and Multisystem inflammatory syndrome cases in children
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