Prospective Pilot Study Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission-Limiting Measures in an On-Site School

Abstract

Objectives : The purpose of our study is to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of a comprehensive set of preventive measures in limiting secondary transmission of COVID-19 in schools. Methods : A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 transmission in an independent K-8 school in San Mateo County, California. The research was conducted between September 14, 2020 through March 22, 2021 and consisted of: (1) demographic and epidemiological questionnaires; (2) daily symptom reporting; (3) weekly RT-PCR testing; and (4) periodic on-site qualitative observations. Results : 180 (79%) students and 63 (74%) on-site staff/contractors were enrolled. Participants reported symptoms in 144 (<1%) daily surveys of the 19,409 collected. Among those who reported symptoms and exposures, none tested positive during the 22-week study period. Of all participants, a total of 6 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at least once by RT-PCR; all were asymptomatic at time of testing. No in-school transmission occurred. Mask adherence was high among all grades, and incidents of improper mask use mostly occurred during non-instruction time. Physical distancing was well-enforced during class time and snack breaks, although adherence during non-instruction time waned as the school year progressed. Conclusion : Our comprehensive, prospective study following COVID-19 transmission over 22 weeks in a K-8 school demonstrates that: (1) surveillance testing is important for detecting asymptomatic infections in schools; (2) monitoring symptoms may not be necessary and/or sufficient for COVID-19; and (3) younger children can adhere to key mitigation measures (e.g., masking) which have the potential to limit transmission.

Feasibility of Specimen Self-collection in Young Children Undergoing SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance for In-Person Learning

“…While data presented here were collected under waiver of consent, parents/guardians did need to provide written informed consent for their children’s test results to be used for research purposes. These test results, alongside symptom self-report data and health beliefs data, are discussed in Jani et al…”

“…The data described here were collected under waiver of consent due to the low risk of the data being collected, on the condition that the individual demographics of a participant would not be tied to their results. Additional study details can be found in Jani et al 13 Study data were collected and managed using REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) electronic data capture tools hosted at Stanford University School of Medicine. 14 , 15 REDCap is a secure, web-based software platform designed to support data capture for research studies, providing (1) an intuitive interface for validated data capture, (2) audit trails for tracking data manipulation and export procedures, (3) automated export procedures for seamless data downloads to common statistical packages, and (4) procedures for data integration and interoperability with external sources.…”