biostudies-literatureGoldfarb DMBritish Columbia Children’s HospitalGovernment of Canada: COVID-Immunity Task Forcee057846https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8983418biostudies-literatureUnknown12(4)<h4>Objectives</h4>Few studies reported COVID-19 cases in schools during the 2020/21 academic year in a setting of uninterrupted in-person schooling. The main objective was to determine the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school staff in Vancouver public schools.<h4>Design</h4>Cumulative incident COVID-19 cases among all students and school staff based on public health data, with an embedded cross-sectional serosurvey among a school staff sample that was compared to period, age, sex and geographical location-weighted data from blood donors.<h4>Setting</h4>Vancouver School District (British Columbia, Canada) from kindergarten to grade 12.<h4>Participants</h4>Active school staff enrolled from 3 February to 23 April 2021 with serology testing from 10 February to 15 May 2021.<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school staff, based on spike (S)-based (unvaccinated staff) or N-based serology testing (vaccinated staff).<h4>Results</h4>Public health data showed the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 among students attending in-person was 9.8 per 1000 students (n=47 280), and 13 per 1000 among school staff (n=7071). In a representative sample of 1689 school staff, 78.2% had classroom responsibilities, and spent a median of 17.6 hours in class per week (IQR: 5.0-25 hours). Although 21.5% (363/1686) of surveyed staff self-reported close contact with a COVID-19 case outside of their household (16.5% contacts were school-based), 5 cases likely acquired the infection at school based on viral testing. Sensitivity/Specificity-adjusted seroprevalence in 1556/1689 staff (92.1%) was 2.3% (95% CI: 1.6% to 3.2%), comparable to a sex, age, date and residency area-weighted seroprevalence of 2.6% (95% CI: 2.2% to 3.1%) among 5417 blood donors.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Seroprevalence among staff was comparable to a reference group of blood donors from the same community. These data show that in-person schooling could be safely maintained during the 2020/21 school year with mitigation measures, in a large school district in Vancouver, Canada.BMJ openSARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Vancouver public school staff in British Columbia, Canada: a cross-sectional study.PMC8983418AWD-016994 PHACA 2020O'Reilly CWatts AWChoi ACoombs DBosman ESXu RYHutchison SMSadarangani MRazzaghian HRMuttucomaroe LO'Brien SFGoldfarb DMMasse LCLavoie PMIrvine MADhillon NSediqi SBarakauskas VEReicherz FfalseSARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Vancouver public school staff in British Columbia, Canada: a cross-sectional study.<h4>Objectives</h4>Few studies reported COVID-19 cases in schools during the 2020/21 academic year in a setting of uninterrupted in-person schooling. The main objective was to determine the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school staff in Vancouver public schools.<h4>Design</h4>Cumulative incident COVID-19 cases among all students and school staff based on public health data, with an embedded cross-sectional serosurvey among a school staff sample that was compared to period, age, sex and geographical location-weighted data from blood donors.<h4>Setting</h4>Vancouver School District (British Columbia, Canada) from kindergarten to grade 12.<h4>Participants</h4>Active school staff enrolled from 3 February to 23 April 2021 with serology testing from 10 February to 15 May 2021.<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among school staff, based on spike (S)-based (unvaccinated staff) or N-based serology testing (vaccinated staff).<h4>Results</h4>Public health data showed the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 among students attending in-person was 9.8 per 1000 students (n=47 280), and 13 per 1000 among school staff (n=7071). In a representative sample of 1689 school staff, 78.2% had classroom responsibilities, and spent a median of 17.6 hours in class per week (IQR: 5.0-25 hours). Although 21.5% (363/1686) of surveyed staff self-reported close contact with a COVID-19 case outside of their household (16.5% contacts were school-based), 5 cases likely acquired the infection at school based on viral testing. Sensitivity/Specificity-adjusted seroprevalence in 1556/1689 staff (92.1%) was 2.3% (95% CI: 1.6% to 3.2%), comparable to a sex, age, date and residency area-weighted seroprevalence of 2.6% (95% CI: 2.2% to 3.1%) among 5417 blood donors.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Seroprevalence among staff was comparable to a reference group of blood donors from the same community. These data show that in-person schooling could be safely maintained during the 2020/21 school year with mitigation measures, in a large school district in Vancouver, Canada.2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Apr2025-04-26T05:42:38.924Z2025-02-19T04:22:15.934ZS-EPMC89834183538308210.1136/bmjopen-2021-057846