Clusters of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Elementary School Educators and Students in One School District — Georgia, December 2020–January 2021

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gold, Jeremy A. W. ; Gettings, Jenna R. ; Kimball, Anne ; Franklin, Rachel ; Rivera, Grant ; Morris, Elana ; Scott, Colleen ; Marcet, Paula L. ; Hast, Marisa ; Swanson, Megan ; McCloud, Jazmyn ; Mehari, Lemlem ; Thomas, Ebony S. ; Kirking, Hannah L. ; Tate, Jacqueline E. ; Memark, Janet ; Drenzek, Cherie ; Vallabhaneni, Snigdha
• Corporate Authors:
  CDC COVID-19 Response Team. ; Georgia K–12 School COVID-9 Investigation Team. ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)Epidemic Intelligence Service. ; Georgia Department of Public Health. ; Cobb & Douglas Public Health. ; Marietta City Schools (Marietta, Ga.)
• Description:
  What is already known about this topic? In-person learning provides important benefits to children and communities. Understanding SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in schools is critical to improving the safety of in-person learning.
  
  What is added by this report? An investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in a Georgia school district during December 1, 2020–January 22, 2021, identified nine clusters of COVID-19 cases involving 13 educators and 32 students at six elementary schools. Two clusters involved probable educator-to-educator Transmission that was followed by educator-to-student Transmission in classrooms and resulted in approximately one half (15 of 31) of school-associated cases.
  
  What are the implications for public health practice? Educators might play a central role in in-school Transmission networks. Preventing SARS-CoV-2 infections through multifaceted school mitigation measures and COVID-19 vaccination of educators is a critical component of preventing in-school Transmission.
  
  In-person learning benefits children and communities (1). Understanding the context in which Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that causes coronaVirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), occurs in schools is critical to improving the safety of in-person learning. During December 1, 2020–January 22, 2021, Cobb and Douglas Public Health (CDPH), the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), and CDC investigated SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in eight public elementary schools in a single school district. COVID-19 cases* among educators and students were either self-reported or identified by local public health officials. Close contacts (contacts)† of persons with a COVID-19 case received tTesting. Among contacts who received positive test results, public health investigators assessed epidemiologic links, probable Transmission directionality, and the likelihood of in-school Transmission.§ Nine clusters of three or more epidemiologically linked COVID-19 cases were identified involving 13 educators and 32 students at six of the eight elementary schools. Two clusters involved probable educator-to-educator Transmission that was followed by educator-to-student Transmission and resulted in approximately one half (15 of 31) of school-associated cases. Sixty-nine household members of persons with school-associated cases were tested, and 18 (26%) received positive results. All nine Transmission clusters involved less than ideal physical distancing, and five involved inadequate mask use by students. Educators were central to in-school Transmission networks. Multifaceted mitigation measures in schools, including promotion of COVID-19 precautions outside of school, minimizing in-person adult interactions at school, and ensuring universal and correct mask use and physical distancing among educators and students when in-person interaction is unavoidable, are important in preventing in-school Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Although not required for reopening schools, COVID-19 vaccination should be considered as an additional mitigation measure to be added when available.
  
  During the investigation period, which included 24 in-person school days during December 1, 2020–January 22, 2021, approximately 2,600 students (approximately 80% of the district’s elementary school students) and 700 staff members attended elementary school in person. During this period, COVID-19 incidence (7-day moving average number of cases per 100,000 persons) in Cobb County, Georgia, increased almost 300%, from 152 to 577 cases.¶ COVID-19 cases among educators and students attending in-person school were either self-reported to the school district or identified by local public health officials through laboratory results. Contacts who were exposed to persons with COVID-19 in school were identified by school officials, advised to quarantine based on local health department guidelines,** and referred to the investigation team.
  
  Suggested citation for this article: Gold JA, Gettings JR, Kimball A, et al. Clusters of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Elementary School Educators and Students in One School District — Georgia, December 2020–January 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 22 February 2021.
  
  mm7008e4.htm?s_cid=mm7008e4_w
  
  mm7008e4-H.pdf
  
  
• Subjects:
  Child CoronaVirus Infections COVID-19 Disease Transmission, Infectious Schools School Teachers Students
• Source:
  MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2021; v. 70 Early Release
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Volume:
  70
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5253aaa225ea51ff1eea705e183ca20604df6efeda6be9713f584e14e2e1f11934cee895c640036a8997fe0f6546897382f6c824bcac171b9952b97c5b0c9daa
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/103142/cdc_103142_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 132.63 KB ]