CoronavirusDisease2019(COVID-19)inSchoolSettings

November11,2020

RespondingtoCOVID-19Cases

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OutbreakTrendsinSchoolSettings• 84outbreaksinK-12schoolshavebeenreportedsinceAugust• Totalof357confirmedcasesreportedfrom40counties

• Range2-24casesperoutbreak• Median4cases• 158(44%)studentsand199(56%)staff

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ConfirmedOutbreaksinSchoolSettingsbyMonth,N=84

5

25

37

17

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

August September October November

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SchoolSettingOutbreakTrends• 31(37%)outbreaksoccurredinstaffonly

• Resultofin-personmeetings,congregatinginbreakrooms,closecontactamongteachersespeciallythosewhoco-teach

• 17(20%)outbreaksoccurredamongsportsteams• Football(8),Volleyball(5),Other(4)

• 19(23%)outbreakswerearesultofstudentsorstaffbecominginfectedthroughclosecontactwithacaseorbeingassociatedwithanoutbreakinthecommunity

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TransmissioninEducationalSetting• 14(17%)outbreakshaveoccurredintheeducationalsetting• 4outbreaksinspecialeducationsettingswhereclose

contactismorecommon• 5outbreaksresultedinonlyasinglestudentandteacher

developingillness• 2outbreaksoccurredinmusicorhealthsettingswherethe

classroomactivitieslikelyincreasedriskfortransmission• 3outbreaksoccurredineducationalsettingswherethere

weremultipleteachersintheclassroomwhowerepositiveincreasingthelikelihoodofexposure

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BestPractices• Clothfacecoveringsareoneofthebestpreventativemeasures

toreducetransmission• Reinforcesocialdistancinginsettingsbothinsideandoutside

theclassroom• Limitopportunitiesforexposureamongstaffbyreducingface-

to-facecontact• Breakrooms,in-personmeetings,congregatingforlunch,

socialgatherings,visitingotherclassrooms• Beselfawarethatactionstakenoutsideoftheclassroomhave

adirectimpactonthehealthandsafetyofstudentsinsidetheclassroom

• Cohorting studentslimitstransmission– haveassignedseating• Promotesocialdistancingandeliminatelargegatherings

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Conclusion• Todate,wehaveseenlimitedtransmissioninschoolsinWest

Virginia• Greatestriskfortransmissionappearstobeamongolder

children,aged12-17years• Schoolsandlocalhealthdepartmentshaveworkeddiligentlyto

implementprotectivemeasurestoreducetransmissionintheschoolsetting

• Asweseeincreasedcommunitytransmission,itiscrucialthatschoolscontinuetolayerpreventionstrategiestoreduceCOVID-19diseaseriskforstudents,teachers,schoolstaff,andfamilies

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