Model-based evaluation of alternative reactive class closure strategies against COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: There are contrasting results concerning the effect of reactive school closure on SARS-CoV-2 transmission. To shed light on this controversy, here we develop a data-driven computational model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to investigate mechanistically the effect on COVID-19 outbreaks of school closure strategies based on syndromic surveillance and antigen screening of students. We found that by reactively closing classes based on syndromic surveillance, SARS-CoV-2 infections are reduced by no more than 13.1% (95%CI: 8.6%-20.2 %), due to the low probability of timely symptomatic case identification among the young population. We thus investigated an alternative triggering mechanism based on repeated screening of students using antigen tests. Should population-level social distancing measures

SUBMITTER: Liu QH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8077629 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature