Protecting children with non-pharmaceutical interventions in schools: what we have learnt—and what do we still need to learn—five years after COVID-19?

The COVID‑19 pandemic forced societies to take rapid decisions on infection control, including, in many countries, closure of schools and early‑childhood settings. Early data suggested low transmission, though the pattern with later strains remains a subject of debate.1 2 For many other viral illnesses, children are efficient vectors,3 though it is equally important to acknowledge that school closures, social distancing and prolonged disruption were damaging to children’s mental health and social well-being.4 5 Holding these two realities in tension is a key challenge of post‑pandemic preparedness.