March 1, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Children Following the Full Re-Opening of Schools and the Impact of National Lockdown: Prospective, National Observational Cohort Surveillance, July-December 2020, England

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

Keywords (Tags): children, schools

• Following the full reopening of schools in England in September 2020, COVID-19 cases among children lagged adult rates but ultimately followed similar trends. A strong correlation was observed in regional infection rates between adults and secondary (R²=0.96-0.98), primary (R²=0.93-0.94) and preschool-aged (R²=0.62-0.85) children. The November 2020 lockdown was associated with declines in adult infection rates, which were then followed by declines in student cases one week later. These trends were more pronounced in areas with moderate-to-high infections before lockdown. From November 23, 2020, cases in both adults and children increased rapidly following the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant. 

Mensah et al. (Feb 2021). SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Children Following the Full Re-Opening of Schools and the Impact of National Lockdown: Prospective, National Observational Cohort Surveillance, July-December 2020, England. Journal of Infection. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2021.02.022