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Students at Prince George and Princess Charlotte's School Are Reportedly Being Tested for Coronavirus

From Town & Country

Students at Prince George and Princess Charlotte's school, Thomas's Battersea, are reportedly self-isolating, awaiting test results regarding the coronavirus. According to a story published Wednesday in the Spanish language publication Vanitatis, none of the royals' classmates are confirmed to have contracted the virus at this time.

Vanitatis broke the news on Wednesday afternoon with a story that included a statement reportedly from Thomas's Battersea. A translated version of the letter, which appeared in the British publication the Mirror reads as follows:

Photo credit: Pool/Max Mumby - Getty Images
Photo credit: Pool/Max Mumby - Getty Images

"Like all schools, we are taking very seriously the potential risks related to the spread of Covid-19 and to this end we are following the Government's instructions to the letter on infection prevention and case management in which it is suspected that some staff member or students exposed to the virus or showing any symptoms.

We currently have a very small number of students who have been evaluated and these individuals currently remain in their homes waiting to receive the results of their exams.

All parents have been informed and we have maintained regular communication with our school community to ensure that councils are shared and important information circulated.

Of course, we will preserve the confidentiality of staff and students, and we will not comment on specific cases."

The story has since been picked up by multiple other outlets, but Kensington Palace has yet to confirm or comment on the news. Similarly, Thomas's Battersea has not released a general statement to the media at large.

On February 26, the UK's Department of Health and Social Care reported on Twitter that "across the UK, there have been 7,132 concluded tests [for the coronavirus] of which 7,119 were confirmed negative, and 13 positive."

That represents only a small fraction of the total number of coronaviruses globally, which reached more than 80,000 this week, the vast majority of which are in China.

And while multiple schools in the UK have been impacted by the illness, with some even shutting their doors over fears regarding the pandemic, it should also be noted that in preliminary data, children appear to be less vulnerable to contracting the virus.

"We're seeing [about] 75,000 total cases at this point, but the literature is only reporting about 100 or so pediatric cases," pediatric infectious disease expert Terri Lynn Stillwell told NPR last week, but it's currently unknown why adults seem to be more susceptible.

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

Prince George has attended the tony London elementary school Thomas's Battersea since 2017.

"The Duke and Duchess have put a great deal of thought into the choice of their eldest child's first 'big school,'" reads a statement released by the school at the time of their decision. "We are honoured that the aims and values of Thomas's reflect those that Their Royal Highnesses would like for Prince George's education. We are deeply conscious of the trust that they, like all Thomas's parents, are placing in us and we hope very much to live up to their expectations."

George's younger sister Princess Charlotte followed a few years after him, starting at the school back in September of 2019. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge accompanied their daughter on her first day at Thomas's, with Prince William, who had driven the family that morning, sharing that Princess Charlotte was "very excited" about starting school.

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