Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

February 18, 2021

Epidemiological Dynamics of the Incidence of COVID-19 in Children and the Relationship with the Opening of Schools in Catalonia (Spain)

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[Pre-print, not peer reviewed] Incidence of COVID-19 among children aged <18 years in Catalonia, Spain during the first 20 weeks of the 2020-2021 school year remained significantly lower than in the general population, except during late January 2021.  Test positivity was also lower among children than the general population, except in January 2021, when active screening ceased due to holiday closures, which may have increased the percent of positive tests. Non-pharmaceutical interventions, including mandatory mask wearing, enhanced ventilation and hygiene, and clustering were implemented during most of the school year. Children attending kindergarten through primary school (aged <11 years) had lower incidence than adolescents (12-17 years).

Perramon et al. (Feb 17, 2021). Epidemiological Dynamics of the Incidence of COVID-19 in Children and the Relationship with the Opening of Schools in Catalonia (Spain). Pre-print downloaded Feb 18 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.15.21251781