Household COVID-19 risk and in-person schooling

 Justin Lessler, M. Kate Grabowski, Kyra H. Grantz, Elena Badillo-Goicoechea,  

View ORCID ProfileC. Jessica E. Metcalf, Carly Lupton-Smith,  View ORCID ProfileAndrew S. Azman,  View ORCID ProfileElizabeth A. Stuart

doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.27.21252597

This article is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed [what does this mean?]. It reports new medical research that has yet to be evaluated and so should not be used to guide clinical practice.

PDF: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.27.21252597v1.full.pdf

Abstract

In-person schooling has proved contentious and difficult to study throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Data from a massive online survey in the United States indicates an increased risk of COVID-19-related outcomes among respondents living with a child attending school in-person. School-based mitigation measures are associated with significant reductions in risk, particularly daily symptoms screens, teacher masking, and closure of extra-curricular activities. With seven or more mitigation measures, the association between in-person schooling and COVID-19-related outcomes all but disappears. Teachers working outside the home were more likely to report COVID-19-related outcomes, but this association is similar to other occupations (e.g., healthcare, office work). In-person schooling is associated with household COVID-19 risk, but this risk can likely be controlled with properly implemented school-based mitigation measures.

One sentence summary Living with children attending in-person school is linked to a higher risk of COVID-19 outcomes, which school-based interventions can mitigate.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

Johns Hopkins University Discovery Award (EB, CL, EAS) Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Modeling and Policy Hub Award (EB, CL, EAS) Department of Health and Human Services (JL, MKG)

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.27.21252597v1