TY  - JOUR
A1  - Theuring, Stefanie
A1  - Thielecke, Marlene
A1  - Loon, Welmoed van
A1  - Hommes, Franziska
A1  - Hülso, Claudia
A1  - Haar, Annkathrin von der
A1  - Körner, Jennifer
A1  - Schmidt, Michael
A1  - Böhringer, Falko
A1  - Mall, Marcus A.
A1  - Rosen, Alexander
A1  - Kalle, Christof von
A1  - Kirchberger, Valerie Sara
A1  - Kurth, Tobias
A1  - Seybold, Joachim
A1  - Mockenhaupt, Frank Peter
T1  - SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission in school settings during the second COVID-19 wave: a cross-sectional study, Berlin, Germany, November 2020
T2  - Eurosurveillance
N2  - Background: School attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic is intensely debated.
Aim: In November 2020, we assessed SARS-CoV-2 infections and seroreactivity in 24 randomly selected school classes and connected households in Berlin, Germany.
Methods: We collected oro-nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples, examining SARS-CoV-2 infection and IgG antibodies by RT-PCR and ELISA. Household members self-swabbed. We assessed individual and institutional prevention measures. Classes with SARS-CoV-2 infection and connected households were retested after 1 week.
Results: We examined 1,119 participants, including 177 primary and 175 secondary school students, 142 staff and 625 household members. SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in eight classes, affecting each 1–2 individuals. Infection prevalence was 2.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2–5.0; 9/338), 1.4% (95% CI: 0.2–5.1; 2/140), and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.3–3.8; 14/611) among students, staff and household members. Six of nine infected students were asymptomatic at testing. We detected IgG antibodies in 2.0% (95%CI: 0.8–4.1; 7/347), 1.4% (95% CI: 0.2–5.0; 2/141) and 1.4% (95% CI: 0.6–2.7; 8/576). Prevalence increased with inconsistent facemask-use in school, walking to school, and case-contacts outside school. For three of nine households with infection(s), origin in school seemed possible. After 1 week, no school-related secondary infections appeared in affected classes; the attack rate in connected households was 1.1%.
Conclusion: School attendance under rigorously implemented preventive measures seems reasonable. Balancing risks and benefits of school closures need to consider possible spill-over infection into households. Deeper insight is required into the infection risks due to being a schoolchild vs attending school.
Y1  - 2021
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/73590
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-735904
VL  - 26
IS  - 34
PB  - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
CY  - Stockholm
ER  -