SARS-CoV-2 transmission in kindergarten to grade 12 schools in the Vancouver Coastal Health region: a descriptive epidemiologic study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is an urgent need to assess the role of schools in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Canada to inform public health measures. We describe the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection among students and staff in the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region in the first 3 months of the 2020/2021 academic year, and examine the extent of transmission in schools.

Methods

This descriptive epidemiologic study using contact tracing data included individuals aged 5 years and older with SARS-CoV-2 infection, reported between Sept. 10 and Dec. 18, 2020, who worked in or attended kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) schools in person in the VCH region. We described case and cluster characteristics and reported the number of school-based transmissions.

Results

During the study peri

SUBMITTER: Bark D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8432285 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul-Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature