April 9, 2021

Factors Associated with Participation in Elementary School–Based SARS-CoV-2 Testing — Salt Lake County, Utah, December 2020–January 2021

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

Keywords (Tags): testing

• An evaluation of an elementary school-based testing program for school contacts of persons with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Salt Lake County, UT (N=856) found that students of White, Hispanic and other racial minority groups and those residing in zip codes with higher SARS-CoV-2 prevalence were more likely to consent to testing. No differences were found based on grade level, close contact with the index patient, having a family member ever receive a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result, cumulative school incidence, number of recent school cases, number of days from exposure to first contact or to testing, ZIP code–level deprivation score, or ZIP code–level mask compliance. The authors hypothesize that the sociodemographic differences in testing may reflect differences in access to testing outside of the school setting or differing levels of concern about COVID-19 between these groups. 

Lewis et al. (Apr 7, 2021). Factors Associated with Participation in Elementary School–Based SARS-CoV-2 Testing — Salt Lake County, Utah, December 2020–January 2021. MMWR. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7015e1