Browsing by Subject "face masks"

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    Mitigating COVID-19 in schools with face masks and proactive testing
    (2021-09) Pasco, Remy; Lachmann, Michael; Fox, Spencer J.; Meyers, Lauren Ancel
    Regions throughout the US are experiencing a COVID-19 wave, fueled by the Delta variant, that is straining healthcare systems and complicating the reopening of schools. To support city leadership, public health agencies, and school districts in mitigating risks for students and staff, we developed a granular model of COVID-19 transmission in schools. We use the model to estimate the impacts of two mitigation strategies-face masking and proactive testing of asymptomatic students-under three different scenarios for in-school transmission. We also consider a scenario in which students are separated into all-mask and no-mask classrooms, based on family preference. The model incorporates epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and contact patterns within and between classrooms, as well as school-wide contacts that occur in lunchrooms, at recess, on buses, etc. It also assumes that classes and households are quarantined for 10 days after a student tests positive. Full details of the model and scenarios can be found in the Methods section.