Background In‐school transmission of COVID‐19 among K‐12 students is low when mitigation layers are used, but the risk of acquiring COVID‐19 during school bus transportation is not well defined. Given the operational limitations of many school districts, more data is needed to determine what mitigation is required to keep COVID‐19 transmission low during bus transport. Methods An independent school in Virginia monitored 1154 students in grades 1 to 12 with asymptomatic PCR testing every 2 weeks from August 24, 2020 to March 19, 2021, during the highest community transmission. Fifteen buses served 462 students while operating at near capacity of 2 students in every seat, using a physical distancing minimum of 2.5 ft, universal masking, and simple ventilation techniques. Results A total of 39 individuals were present on buses during their COVID‐19 infectious period, which resulted in the quarantine of 52 students. Universal testing and contact tracing revealed no transmission linked to bus transportation. Conclusions This study demonstrates a model for the safe operation of school buses while near capacity. COVID‐19 transmission can be low during student transport when employing mitigation including simple ventilation, and universal masking, at minimal physical distances and during the highest community transmission.

ED patients who use tobacco demonstrate motivation to quit and express interest in receiving interventions to assist them after the ED visit. Previous investigations have observed that ED patients do not attend interventions prescribed after the initial ED encounter. These findings suggest that the development of new models for reinforcing tobacco-use interventions initiated in the ED deserve exploration, such as linking them to a tobacco quitline.

BACKGROUND: Ongoing masking of K-12 children has not been universally accepted despite recommendation from public health authorities. In states without universal mask mandates for schools, district administrators are forced to make masking decisions under significant local political pressures. There is a call for endpoints to masking to allow communities to tailor mitigation while keeping schools safe, focusing on harm reduction. METHODS:We reviewed existing measures for the safe opening of schools and designed a stepwise, accessible approach to the removal of masks in the K-12 setting. RESULTS:Focusing first on the assessment of school impact due to COVID-19 disease and then considering the context of existing community transmission levels allows for a metrics-based approach to masking that is flexible and practical, enabling school officials to adapt quickly to the pandemic landscape in their communities, independent of political pressures. CONCLUSIONS: While this proposal is preliminary, a dynamic metric system for masking may encourage those communities who wish to minimize masking to adopt masks during highest risk periods, protecting against SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools and allowing for more holistic harm reduction. This approach may serve to guide districts during times of uncertainty when central guidance short of universal masking is lacking.

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ED patients who use tobacco demonstrate motivation to quit and express interest in receiving interventions to assist them after the ED visit. Previous investigations have observed that ED patients do not attend interventions prescribed after the initial ED encounter. These findings suggest that the development of new models for reinforcing tobacco-use interventions initiated in the ED deserve exploration, such as linking them to a tobacco quitline.