PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

Modifications to student quarantine policies in K–12 schools implementing multiple COVID-19 prevention strategies restores in-person education without increasing SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk, January-March 2021

  • Patrick Dawson,
  • Mary Claire Worrell,
  • Sara Malone,
  • Stephanie A. Fritz,
  • Heather P. McLaughlin,
  • Brock K. Montgomery,
  • Mary Boyle,
  • Ashley Gomel,
  • Samantha Hayes,
  • Brett Maricque,
  • Albert M. Lai,
  • Julie A. Neidich,
  • Sarah C. Tinker,
  • Justin S. Lee,
  • Suxiang Tong,
  • Rachel C. Orscheln,
  • Rachel Charney,
  • Terri Rebmann,
  • Jon Mooney,
  • Catherine Rains,
  • Nancy Yoon,
  • Machelle Petit,
  • Katie Towns,
  • Clay Goddard,
  • Spring Schmidt,
  • Lisa C. Barrios,
  • John C. Neatherlin,
  • Johanna S. Salzer,
  • Jason G. Newland

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 10

Abstract

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Objective To determine whether modified K–12 student quarantine policies that allow some students to continue in-person education during their quarantine period increase schoolwide SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk following the increase in cases in winter 2020–2021. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 cases and close contacts among students and staff (n = 65,621) in 103 Missouri public schools. Participants were offered free, saliva-based RT-PCR testing. The projected number of school-based transmission events among untested close contacts was extrapolated from the percentage of events detected among tested asymptomatic close contacts and summed with the number of detected events for a projected total. An adjusted Cox regression model compared hazard rates of school-based SARS-CoV-2 infections between schools with a modified versus standard quarantine policy. Results From January–March 2021, a projected 23 (1%) school-based transmission events occurred among 1,636 school close contacts. There was no difference in the adjusted hazard rates of school-based SARS-CoV-2 infections between schools with a modified versus standard quarantine policy (hazard ratio = 1.00; 95% confidence interval: 0.97–1.03). Discussion School-based SARS-CoV-2 transmission was rare in 103 K–12 schools implementing multiple COVID-19 prevention strategies. Modified student quarantine policies were not associated with increased school incidence of COVID-19. Modifications to student quarantine policies may be a useful strategy for K–12 schools to safely reduce disruptions to in-person education during times of increased COVID-19 community incidence.