edoc
Science Brief: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 schools. Updated July 9, 2021 [Webpage].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Statistics
Technical Report
Federal Publication/Policy
hmtl pages
Public Domain
Published: July 9, 2021
View: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/transmission_k_12_schools.html
This brief provides updated information on the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in early childhood programs and in K-12 schools. It begins with background information on the importance of schools and early care and education (ECE) programs, the closure of programs in the spring of 2020 as a strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19, and the impact of the closures on parents and children. The following section shares research findings on the prevalence of COVID-19 among children and adolescents, risk factors, the transmission of COVID-19 in schools, the transmission of COVID-19 in schools among students, families, teachers, and school staff, the transmission of COVID-19 in ECE settings, and the success of layered prevention strategies in schools in limiting transmission of COVID-19. Specific strategies that schools can use to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission are then described and include: promoting COVID-19 vaccination for those eligible, mask use, physical distancing, screening testing, improving ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, testing and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, and routine cleaning with disinfection. The increased risk of COVID-19 transmission during team sports or other types of group extracurricular activities is noted. 98 references.
Keywords:
COVID-19; Child health; Data analysis; Statistics; Disaster response; Schools; School linked services; Early childhood education