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Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zimmerman, KO; Akinboyo, IC; Brookhart, MA; Boutzoukas, AE; McGann, KA; Smith, MJ; Maradiaga Panayotti, G; Armstrong, SC; Bristow, H; Parker, D ...
Published in: Pediatrics
April 2021

BACKGROUND: In an effort to mitigate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), North Carolina closed prekindergarten through grade 12 public schools to in-person instruction on March 14, 2020. On July 15, 2020, North Carolina's governor announced schools could open via remote learning or a hybrid model that combined in-person and remote instruction. In August 2020, 56 of 115 North Carolina school districts joined The ABC Science Collaborative (ABCs) to implement public health measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission and share lessons learned. We describe secondary transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within participating school districts during the first 9 weeks of in-person instruction in the 2020-2021 academic year. METHODS: From August 15, 2020 to October 23, 2020, 11 of 56 school districts participating in ABCs were open for in-person instruction for all 9 weeks of the first quarter and agreed to track incidence and secondary transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Local health department staff adjudicated secondary transmission. Superintendents met weekly with ABCs faculty to share lessons learned and develop prevention methods. RESULTS: Over 9 weeks, 11 participating school districts had >90 000 students and staff attend school in person. Among these students and staff, 773 community-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infections were documented by molecular testing. Through contact tracing, health department staff determined an additional 32 infections were acquired within schools. No instances of child-to-adult transmission of SARS-CoV-2 were reported within schools. CONCLUSIONS: In the first 9 weeks of in-person instruction in North Carolina schools, we found extremely limited within-school secondary transmission of SARS-CoV-2, as determined by contact tracing.

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Published In

Pediatrics

DOI

EISSN

1098-4275

Publication Date

April 2021

Volume

147

Issue

4

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Schools
  • Pediatrics
  • North Carolina
  • Incidence
  • Humans
  • Education, Distance
  • Cohort Studies
  • Child, Preschool
  • Child
  • COVID-19
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Zimmerman, K. O., Akinboyo, I. C., Brookhart, M. A., Boutzoukas, A. E., McGann, K. A., Smith, M. J., … ABC SCIENCE COLLABORATIVE. (2021). Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools. Pediatrics, 147(4). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-048090
Zimmerman, Kanecia O., Ibukunoluwa C. Akinboyo, M Alan Brookhart, Angelique E. Boutzoukas, Kathleen A. McGann, Michael J. Smith, Gabriela Maradiaga Panayotti, et al. “Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools.Pediatrics 147, no. 4 (April 2021). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-048090.
Zimmerman KO, Akinboyo IC, Brookhart MA, Boutzoukas AE, McGann KA, Smith MJ, et al. Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools. Pediatrics. 2021 Apr;147(4).
Zimmerman, Kanecia O., et al. “Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools.Pediatrics, vol. 147, no. 4, Apr. 2021. Pubmed, doi:10.1542/peds.2020-048090.
Zimmerman KO, Akinboyo IC, Brookhart MA, Boutzoukas AE, McGann KA, Smith MJ, Maradiaga Panayotti G, Armstrong SC, Bristow H, Parker D, Zadrozny S, Weber DJ, Benjamin DK, ABC SCIENCE COLLABORATIVE. Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools. Pediatrics. 2021 Apr;147(4).

Published In

Pediatrics

DOI

EISSN

1098-4275

Publication Date

April 2021

Volume

147

Issue

4

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Schools
  • Pediatrics
  • North Carolina
  • Incidence
  • Humans
  • Education, Distance
  • Cohort Studies
  • Child, Preschool
  • Child
  • COVID-19