Analysis of COVID-19 Infection Chains in a School Setting: Data From a School-Based rRT-PCR–Gargle Pool Test System. (15th February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gruendl, Magdalena; Kheiroddin, Parastoo; Althammer, Michael; Schöberl, Patricia; Rohrmanstorfer, René; Wallerstorfer, Daniel; Ambrosch, Andreas; Kabesch, Michael
• Is Part Of: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness. Volume 17(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-02-15
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- SARS-CoV-2 -- school-testing -- pool-PCR -- gargle -- children -- rural -- urban -- implementation -- evaluation -- transmission; Disaster medicine -- Periodicals; Emergency management -- Planning -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 363.34
• DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2022.279
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1935-7893

Abstract

Abstract: Background: School testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was implemented in some countries to monitor and prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmissions. Here, we analyze infection chains in primary schools and household members of infected students based on systematic real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase-chain-reaction (rRT-PCR)–gargle pool testing. Methods: Students and school staff ( N = 4300) of all 38 primary schools in the rural county of Cham, Germany, were tested twice per week with a gargle pool rRT-PCR system from April to July of 2021. Infection chains of all 8 positive cases identified by school testing were followed up. Results: In total, 8 positive cases were found by gargle pool PCR testing based on 96, 764 school tests. While no transmissions occurred in the school setting, 20 of 27 household members of the 8 cases tested positive. The overall attack rate was 74.1% in families. Conclusions: No school outbreaks occurred during the study period. All cases but 1 were initially picked up by school testing. No transmission from school to families was observed.