Back to the Basics: A COVID-19 Surveillance Program Within a Local School District.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• School Health Programs

Background:

• A school district in Northern Ohio initiated a COVID-19 surveillance program during the resumption of in-person activities.
• The program ran from January 4 to May 21, 2021, coinciding with the return to school and extracurriculars.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the transmission of COVID-19 within a school setting.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation strategies during in-person learning and activities.

Main Methods:

• Weekly surveillance testing was conducted on students and staff.
• Testing included random sampling of students and targeted testing for those in extracurricular activities.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 cases were identified in 26 staff members and 23 students.
• A majority of student cases (14/23) were among those participating in extracurricular activities, primarily aged 14-18.
• Low weekly percent positivity (0.2-2.4%) was observed despite fluctuations in community positivity rates.

Conclusions:

• Consistent mitigation strategies in schools can lead to low transmission rates among students and staff.
• Layered prevention strategies, when implemented with fidelity, effectively limit COVID-19 spread in educational environments.
• Adolescents involved in extracurricular activities showed a higher proportion of cases, highlighting the importance of targeted measures.