Minimal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from paediatric COVID-19 cases in primary schools, Norway, August to November 2020
Lin T. Brandal, Trine Skogset Ofitserova, Hinta Meijerink, Rikard Rykkvin, Hilde Marie Lund, Olav Hungnes, Margrethe Greve‐Isdahl, Karoline Bragstad, Karin Nygård, Brita Askeland Winje
Abstract
An intense debate on school closures to control the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing in Europe. We prospectively examined transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from confirmed paediatric cases in Norwegian primary schools between August and November 2020. All in-school contacts were systematically tested twice during their quarantine period. With preventive measures implemented in schools, we found minimal child-to-child (0.9%, 2/234) and child-to-adult (1.7%, 1/58) transmission, supporting that under 14 year olds are not the drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Topics & Concepts
NorwegianCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Transmission (telecommunications)Pandemic2019-20 coronavirus outbreakQuarantineMedicinePediatricsDemographyFamily medicineVirologyOutbreakElectrical engineeringInfectious disease (medical specialty)SociologyPhilosophyEngineeringDiseaseLinguisticsPathologyCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesRespiratory viral infections researchCOVID-19 Clinical Research Studies