Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

May 24, 2021

COVID-19 Mitigation Practices and COVID-19 Rates in Schools Report on Data from Florida New York and Massachusetts

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  • [Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] A report of SARS-CoV-2 mitigation practices and infection rates in schools in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts during the 2020-2021 school year found higher infection rates among students attending schools with lower in-person density, but no association with rates among staff. The authors suggest these results could be attributed to a protective effect of in-school time if students and teachers engage in higher-risk activities outside of school. Better ventilation was associated with lower infection rates in Florida, but not New York. Rates of infection declined in all locations in the spring, likely due to vaccination of teachers. 

Oster et al. (May 21, 2021). COVID-19 Mitigation Practices and COVID-19 Rates in Schools Report on Data from Florida New York and Massachusetts. Pre-print downloaded May 24 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.19.21257467