Dataset Information

Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection among staff and students in a cohort of English primary and secondary schools during 2020-2021.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There remains uncertainty about the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 among school students and staff and the extent to which non-pharmaceutical-interventions reduce the risk of school settings.

Methods

We conducted an open cohort study in a sample of 59 primary and 97 secondary schools in 15 English local authority areas that were implementing government guidance to schools open during the pandemic. We estimated SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence among those attending school, antibody prevalence, and antibody negative to positive conversion rates in staff and students over the school year (November 2020-July 2021).

Findings

22,585 staff and students participated. SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence among those attending school was highest during the first two rounds of testing in the autumn term, ranging from 0.7% (95% CI 0.2, 1.2) among primary staff in November 2020 to 1.6% (95% CI 0.9, 2.3) among secondary staff in December 2020. Antibody conversion rates were highest in the autumn term. Infection patterns were similar between staff and students, and between primary and secondary schools. The prevalence of nucleoprotein antibodies increased over the year and was lower among students than staff. SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence in the North-West region was lower among secondary students attending school on normal school days than the regional estimate for secondary school-age children.

Interpretation

SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence in staff and students attending school varied with local community infection rates. Non-pharmaceutical interventions intended to prevent infected individuals attending school may have partially reduced the prevalence of infection among those on the school site.

Funding

UK Department of Health and Social Care.

SUBMITTER: Hargreaves JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9398464 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection among staff and students in a cohort of English primary and secondary schools during 2020-2021.

Hargreaves James R JR Langan Sinéad M SM Oswald William E WE Halliday Katherine E KE Sturgess Joanna J Phelan Jody J Nguipdop-Djomo Patrick P Ford Benjamin B Allen Elizabeth E Sundaram Neisha N Ireland Georgina G Poh John J Ijaz Samreen S Diamond Ian I Rourke Emma E Dawe Fiona F Judd Alison A Warren-Gash Charlotte C Clark Taane G TG Glynn Judith R JR Edmunds W John WJ Bonell Chris C Mangtani Punam P Ladhani Shamez N SN

The Lancet regional health. Europe 20220824

<h4>Background</h4>There remains uncertainty about the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 among school students and staff and the extent to which non-pharmaceutical-interventions reduce the risk of school settings.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted an open cohort study in a sample of 59 primary and 97 secondary schools in 15 English local authority areas that were implementing government guidance to schools open during the pandemic. We estimated SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence among those attending school, an ...[more]

PMID: 36035630

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Dataset Information

Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection among staff and students in a cohort of English primary and secondary schools during 2020-2021.

Background

Methods

Findings

Interpretation

Funding

Publications

Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection among staff and students in a cohort of English primary and secondary schools during 2020-2021.

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