Can grandparents meet their grandchildren again?

For many grandparents, it’s the worst part of the Corona crisis: They haven’t seen their grandchildren for weeks. As some editions are gradually loosened and at the same time the children have not been to school or daycare for weeks, the question arises: Is it a good time to get in touch? The Würzburg infectiologist Professor August Stich and the press officer of the Würzburg district office, Eva Maria Schorno, provide answers to the most important questions.

Is it allowed in principle for grandparents to meet their grandchild?

According to spokeswoman Schorno, visits to the grandparents are a good reason to leave the apartment “if they need support because they need help with shopping, for example.” However, grandparents should not look after their grandchildren. Since April 20, outside contact with a person outside of one’s own household has been permitted. This also includes that grandma or grandpa meet with a grandchild in the fresh air if you keep your distance.

Is contact between grandparents and grandchildren dangerous?

“When visiting older people, the general rule is that visits should be kept to an absolute minimum. The risk of infection is too great!” Bavarian Ministry of the Interior on his website with. In principle, according to the Robert Koch Institute, the risk of developing Covid-19 seriously increases for people aged 50 and over. With age, the likelihood of previous illnesses also increases. Contact with children is risky because they can be particularly frequently infected with coronaviruses without having symptoms themselves and can thus pass on the viruses as “silent vectors”.

Are children more silent carriers than adults?

Children and adolescents seem to be infected with the virus just as frequently as adults, but according to current research, they have a significantly lower risk of developing symptoms or becoming seriously ill. Among the Covid-19 cases recorded, for example, according to the EU health authority ECDC, only one percent of children are under ten years of age. 10 to 19 year olds account for four percent of cases across Europe. “Only very few children have died worldwide,” explains the Würzburg infectiologist August Stich. It is not known whether children pass on more or fewer viruses than infected adults. In addition, meaningful studies are missing, said Stich.

What if the grandchild hasn’t been to school or daycare for six weeks?

If the contact was completely blocked, the children would then be excluded as carriers. However, there are other sources of infection in families besides school or kindergarten: For example, parents who can become infected at work or while shopping. The current easing increases this risk.