1
|
Bayly H, Stoddard M, Van Egeren D, Murray EJ, Raifman J, Chakravarty A, White LF. Looking under the lamp-post: quantifying the performance of contact tracing in the United States during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:595. [PMID: 38395830 PMCID: PMC10893709 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18012-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Contact tracing forms a crucial part of the public-health toolbox in mitigating and understanding emergent pathogens and nascent disease outbreaks. Contact tracing in the United States was conducted during the pre-Omicron phase of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This tracing relied on voluntary reporting and responses, often using rapid antigen tests due to lack of accessibility to PCR tests. These limitations, combined with SARS-CoV-2's propensity for asymptomatic transmission, raise the question "how reliable was contact tracing for COVID-19 in the United States"? We answered this question using a Markov model to examine the efficiency with which transmission could be detected based on the design and response rates of contact tracing studies in the United States. Our results suggest that contact tracing protocols in the U.S. are unlikely to have identified more than 1.65% (95% uncertainty interval: 1.62-1.68%) of transmission events with PCR testing and 1.00% (95% uncertainty interval 0.98-1.02%) with rapid antigen testing. When considering a more robust contact tracing scenario, based on compliance rates in East Asia with PCR testing, this increases to 62.7% (95% uncertainty interval: 62.6-62.8%). We did not assume presence of asymptomatic transmission or superspreading, making our estimates upper bounds on the actual percentages traced. These findings highlight the limitations in interpretability for studies of SARS-CoV-2 disease spread based on U.S. contact tracing and underscore the vulnerability of the population to future disease outbreaks, for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henry Bayly
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Eleanor J Murray
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia Raifman
- Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Laura F White
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bayly H, Stoddard M, Egeren DV, Murray EJ, Raifman J, Chakravarty A, White LF. Looking under the lamp-post: quantifying the performance of contact tracing in the United States during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2953875. [PMID: 37333276 PMCID: PMC10274953 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2953875/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Contact tracing forms a crucial part of the public-health toolbox in mitigating and understanding emergent pathogens and nascent disease outbreaks. Contact tracing in the United States was conducted during the pre-Omicron phase of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This tracing relied on voluntary reporting and responses, often using rapid antigen tests (with a high false negative rate) due to lack of accessibility to PCR tests. These limitations, combined with SARS-CoV-2's propensity for asymptomatic transmission, raise the question "how reliable was contact tracing for COVID-19 in the United States"? We answered this question using a Markov model to examine the efficiency with which transmission could be detected based on the design and response rates of contact tracing studies in the United States. Our results suggest that contact tracing protocols in the U.S. are unlikely to have identified more than 1.65% (95% uncertainty interval: 1.62%-1.68%) of transmission events with PCR testing and 0.88% (95% uncertainty interval 0.86%-0.89%) with rapid antigen testing. When considering an optimal scenario, based on compliance rates in East Asia with PCR testing, this increases to 62.7% (95% uncertainty interval: 62.6%-62.8%). These findings highlight the limitations in interpretability for studies of SARS-CoV-2 disease spread based on U.S. contact tracing and underscore the vulnerability of the population to future disease outbreaks, for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens.
Collapse
|
3
|
Mudenda S, Ngalande N, Mukosha M, Hikaambo CN, Daka V, Matafwali SK, Banda M, Mfune RL, Mayoka G, Witika BA. Knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 among healthcare students: A cross-sectional study at the University of Zambia. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1028312. [PMID: 36530704 PMCID: PMC9748439 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1028312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to the disruption of physical classes for university students globally, as large gatherings fuelled the transmission of the virus. In the efforts to mitigate its transmission and return to normality, prevention measures, including vaccination, have been encouraged. Therefore, it is critical to understand the knowledge and practices of students regarding COVID-19. This study assessed the knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 among healthcare students at the University of Zambia. Materials and methods This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out from August 2021 to October 2021 among 478 healthcare students (pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing, biomedical, medicine, and radiography). We used a previously validated questionnaire to measure knowledge and practice. The predictors of knowledge and practices were assessed using logistic regression with robust estimation of standard errors. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata/BE version 17.0. Results Of the 478 respondents, 243 (50.8%) were females. A larger proportion, 175 (36.6%) were in Pharmacy training, and 156 (32.6%) were in their fifth year of study. The overall mean knowledge score of the participants was 87.9 (SD = 16.1), being higher at 89.6 (SD = 14.3) among medical students and the lowest at 86.7 (SD = 17.1) among Pharmacy students, although this was statistically non-significant (p = 0.488). The overall mean practice score was 60.0 (SD = 24.7), being significantly higher at 63.5 (23.4) among nursing, physiotherapy and environmental students compared to other students (p = 0.048). In multivariable analysis, the participant training program was non-significantly associated with knowledge and practice toward COVID-19. However, increased age (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.117) and residing in urban areas (AOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.07-3.01) than in rural areas were associated with higher odds of good practice toward COVID-19. Conclusion The healthcare students generally showed good knowledge levels and poor practices toward COVID-19. Further, there was no evidence of a difference in knowledge of COVID-19 among healthcare students. These findings suggest the need for implementation strategies to be centered on improving the practices of students toward COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steward Mudenda
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Nelly Ngalande
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Moses Mukosha
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Victor Daka
- Department of Public Health, Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia
| | - Scott Kaba Matafwali
- Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michelo Banda
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Ruth Lindizyani Mfune
- Department of Public Health, Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola, Zambia
| | - Godfrey Mayoka
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Bwalya Angel Witika
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ganem F, Bordas A, Folch C, Alonso L, Montoro-Fernandez M, Colom-Cadena A, Mas A, Mendioroz J, Asso L, Anton A, Pumarola T, González MV, Blanco I, Soler-Palacín P, Soriano-Arandes A, Casabona J. The COVID-19 Sentinel Schools Network of Catalonia (CSSNC) project: Associated factors to prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in educational settings during the 2020-2021 academic year. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277764. [PMID: 36395191 PMCID: PMC9671345 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sentinel Schools project was designed to monitor and evaluate the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Catalonia, gathering evidence for health and education policies to inform the development of health protocols and public health interventions to control of SARS-CoV-2 infection in schools. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections and to identify their determinants among students and staff during February to June in the academic year 2020-2021. We performed two complementary studies, a cross-sectional and a longitudinal component, using a questionnaire to collect nominal data and testing for SARS-CoV-2 detection. We describe the results and perform a univariate and multivariate analysis. The initial crude seroprevalence was 14.8% (95% CI: 13.1-16.5) and 22% (95% CI: 18.3-25.8) for students and staff respectively, and the active infection prevalence was 0.7% (95% CI: 0.3-1) and 1.1% (95% CI: 0.1-2). The overall incidence for persons at risk was 2.73 per 100 person-month and 2.89 and 2.34 per 100 person-month for students and staff, respectively. Socioeconomic, self-reported knowledge, risk perceptions and contact pattern variables were positively associated with the outcome while sanitary measure compliance was negatively associated, the same significance trend was observed in multivariate analysis. In the longitudinal component, epidemiological close contact with SARS-CoV-2 infection was a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection while the highest socioeconomic status level was protective as was compliance with sanitary measures. The small number of active cases detected in these schools suggests a low transmission among children in school and the efficacy of public health measures implemented, at least in the epidemiological scenario of the study period. The major contribution of this study was to provide results and evidence that help analyze the transmission dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 and evaluate the associations between sanitary protocols implemented, and measures to avoid SARS-CoV-2 spread in schools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Ganem
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Pediatria, d’Obstetrícia i Ginecologia i de Medicina Preventiva i de Salut Publica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Anna Bordas
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Cinta Folch
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Lucia Alonso
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Marcos Montoro-Fernandez
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
| | - Andreu Colom-Cadena
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
| | - Ariadna Mas
- Direcció Assistencial d’Atenció Primària i Comunitària, Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jacobo Mendioroz
- Subdirecció general de Vigilància i Resposta a Emergències de l’Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya, Departament de Salut, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Laia Asso
- Agència de Salut Pública de Catalunya (ASPCAT), Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Andres Anton
- Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Tomàs Pumarola
- Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron Hospital Universitari, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Maria Victoria González
- Microbiology Department, Laboratori Clínic Metropolitana Nord, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català de la Salut, Institut D’Investigació en Ciències de La Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ignacio Blanco
- Microbiology Department, Laboratori Clínic Metropolitana Nord, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català de la Salut, Institut D’Investigació en Ciències de La Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pere Soler-Palacín
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Antoni Soriano-Arandes
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Casabona
- Centre of Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), Health Department, Government of Catalonia, Badalona, Spain
- Departament de Pediatria, d’Obstetrícia i Ginecologia i de Medicina Preventiva i de Salut Publica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Alonso S, Català M, López D, Álvarez-Lacalle E, Jordan I, García-García JJ, Fumadó V, Muñoz-Almagro C, Gratacós E, Balanza N, Varo R, Millat P, Baro B, Ajanovic S, Arias S, Claverol J, de Sevilla MF, Bonet-Carne E, Garcia-Miquel A, Coma E, Medina-Peralta M, Fina F, Prats C, Bassat Q. Individual prevention and containment measures in schools in Catalonia, Spain, and community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 after school re-opening. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263741. [PMID: 35171936 PMCID: PMC8849486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite their clear lesser vulnerability to COVID-19, the extent by which children are susceptible to getting infected by SARS-CoV-2 and their capacity to transmit the infection to other people remains inadequately characterized. We aimed to evaluate the role of school reopening and the preventive strategies in place at schools in terms of overall risk for children and community transmission, by comparing transmission rates in children as detected by a COVID-19 surveillance platform in place in Catalonian Schools to the incidence at the community level. METHODS AND FINDINGS Infections detected in Catalan schools during the entire first trimester of classes (September-December 2020) were analysed and compared with the ongoing community transmission and with the modelled predicted number of infections. There were 30.486 infections (2.12%) documented among the circa 1.5M pupils, with cases detected in 54.0% and 97.5% of the primary and secondary centres, respectively. During the entire first term, the proportion of "bubble groups" (stable groups of children doing activities together) that were forced to undergo confinement ranged between 1 and 5%, with scarce evidence of substantial intraschool transmission in the form of chains of infections, and with ~75% of all detected infections not leading to secondary cases. Mathematical models were also used to evaluate the effect of different parameters related to the defined preventive strategies (size of the bubble group, number of days of confinement required by contacts of an index case). The effective reproduction number inside the bubble groups in schools (R*), defined as the average number of schoolmates infected by each primary case within the bubble, was calculated, yielding a value of 0.35 for primary schools and 0.55 for secondary schools, and compared with the outcomes of the mathematical model, implying decreased transmissibility for children in the context of the applied measures. Relative homogenized monthly cumulative incidence ([Formula: see text]) was assessed to compare the epidemiological dynamics among different age groups and this analysis suggested the limited impact of infections in school-aged children in the context of the overall community incidence. CONCLUSIONS During the fall of 2020, SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases detected in Catalan schools closely mirrored the underlying community transmission from the neighbourhoods where they were set and maintaining schools open appeared to be safe irrespective of underlying community transmission. Preventive measures in place in those schools appeared to be working for the early detection and rapid containment of transmission and should be maintained for the adequate and safe functioning of normal academic and face-to-face school activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Alonso
- Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martí Català
- Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB), Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Daniel López
- Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Iolanda Jordan
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José García-García
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victoria Fumadó
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Muñoz-Almagro
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Gratacós
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Núria Balanza
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosauro Varo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pere Millat
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bàrbara Baro
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Ajanovic
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Sara Arias
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joana Claverol
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mariona Fernández de Sevilla
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisenda Bonet-Carne
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aleix Garcia-Miquel
- BCNatal | Fetal Medicine Research Center (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ermengol Coma
- Sistema d’Informació dels Serveis d’Atenció Primària (SISAP), Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Medina-Peralta
- Sistema d’Informació dels Serveis d’Atenció Primària (SISAP), Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Fina
- Sistema d’Informació dels Serveis d’Atenció Primària (SISAP), Institut Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Prats
- Department of Physics, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Quique Bassat
- Consorcio de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Pediatrics Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Esplugues, Barcelona, Spain
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic—Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lordan R, Prior S, Hennessy E, Naik A, Ghosh S, Paschos GK, Skarke C, Barekat K, Hollingsworth T, Juska S, Mazaleuskaya LL, Teegarden S, Glascock AL, Anderson S, Meng H, Tang SY, Weljie A, Bottalico L, Ricciotti E, Cherfane P, Mrcela A, Grant G, Poole K, Mayer N, Waring M, Adang L, Becker J, Fries S, FitzGerald GA, Grosser T. Considerations for the Safe Operation of Schools During the Coronavirus Pandemic. Front Public Health 2021; 9:751451. [PMID: 34976917 PMCID: PMC8716382 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.751451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, providing safe in-person schooling has been a dynamic process balancing evolving community disease burden, scientific information, and local regulatory requirements with the mandate for education. Considerations include the health risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its post-acute sequelae, the impact of remote learning or periods of quarantine on education and well-being of children, and the contribution of schools to viral circulation in the community. The risk for infections that may occur within schools is related to the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections within the local community. Thus, persistent suppression of viral circulation in the community through effective public health measures including vaccination is critical to in-person schooling. Evidence suggests that the likelihood of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within schools can be minimized if mitigation strategies are rationally combined. This article reviews evidence-based approaches and practices for the continual operation of in-person schooling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronan Lordan
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Samantha Prior
- Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Elizabeth Hennessy
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Amruta Naik
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Soumita Ghosh
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Georgios K. Paschos
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Carsten Skarke
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kayla Barekat
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Taylor Hollingsworth
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sydney Juska
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Liudmila L. Mazaleuskaya
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sarah Teegarden
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Abigail L. Glascock
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sean Anderson
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Hu Meng
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Soon-Yew Tang
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Aalim Weljie
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lisa Bottalico
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Emanuela Ricciotti
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Perla Cherfane
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Antonijo Mrcela
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gregory Grant
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kristen Poole
- Department of English, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Natalie Mayer
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael Waring
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Laura Adang
- Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Julie Becker
- Division of Public Health, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Susanne Fries
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Garret A. FitzGerald
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Tilo Grosser
- Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| |
Collapse
|