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Back to the Basics: A COVID ‐19 Surveillance Program Within a Local School District
Author(s) -
Ganesh Prakash R.,
May Ross,
Dandurand Mitch,
Graham Jeffrey,
Rose Johnie,
Gullett Heidi,
Covell Dave,
Stange Kurt C.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/josh.13149
Subject(s) - covid-19 , transmission (telecommunications) , psychology , medicine , school district , medical education , family medicine , pedagogy , computer science , virology , telecommunications , disease , pathology , outbreak , infectious disease (medical specialty)
BACKGROUND A school district in Northern Ohio implemented a COVID‐19 surveillance program from January 4 to May 21, 2021, as in‐person school and extracurricular activities resumed. METHODS Among 560 staff members and >6300 students, random weekly testing was performed on 563 students and weekly for 204 students participating in extracurricular activities, and 553 staff. RESULTS Cases of COVID‐19 were identified among 26 staff members and 23 students. Most of those infected were participating in extracurricular activities (14/23) and in the age range of 14‐18. Percent positivity was low (range 0.2‐2.4%) throughout the school surveillance program despite significant changes in positivity rate (2.8‐19.8%). CONCLUSION This demonstrates that in a setting employing basic yet consistent mitigation strategies, there is low transmission among young children and adolescents as they return to in‐person classes and activities. Maintaining layered prevention strategies implemented and sustained with fidelity can substantially limit transmission within schools.