Open AccessIs Symptom Screening Useful for Identifying COVID-19 Infection in School Settings? Georgia, USA
Author(s) -
Megan Swanson,
Marisa Hast,
Eleanor Burnett,
Emeka Oraka,
Anne Kimball,
Elana Morris,
Paula L. Marcet,
Olivia Almendares,
Rachel S. Franklin,
Lemlem Mehari,
Jazmyn McCloud,
Hannah L Kirking,
Jacqueline E. Tate,
Colleen Scott
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the journal of school nursing/journal of school nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.617
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1546-8364
pISSN - 1059-8405
DOI - 10.1177/10598405211050393
Subject(s) - asymptomatic , covid-19 , medicine , transmission (telecommunications) , infection control , cross sectional study , test (biology) , family medicine , pediatrics , disease , virology , intensive care medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , paleontology , outbreak , electrical engineering , biology , engineering
This study’s goal was to characterize the utility of symptom screening in staff and students for COVID-19 identification and control of transmission in a school setting. We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data for staff, students and associated household members in a Georgia school district exposed to COVID-19 cases who received RT-PCR testing and symptom monitoring. Among positive contacts, 30/49 (61%) of students and 1/6 (17%) of staff reported no symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Symptom sensitivity was 30% in elementary students and 42% in middle/high students. Fifty-three percent (10/19) of symptomatic positive contacts had at least one household member test positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared with 50% (10/20) of asymptomatic positive contacts. The absence of symptoms in children is not indicative of a lack of SARS-CoV-2 infection or reduced risk of infection for associated household members. Testing all close contacts of people with COVID-19 in schools is needed to interrupt transmission networks.