TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing COVID-19 testing strategies in K-12 schools in underserved populations
T2 - study protocol for a cluster-randomized trial
AU - Hayes, Samantha
AU - Malone, Sara
AU - Bonty, Brittany
AU - Mueller, Nancy
AU - Reyes, Summer M.
AU - Reyes, Sydney A.
AU - Evans, Christina
AU - Wilcher-Roberts, Myisha
AU - Watterson, Tremayne
AU - Akuse, Sewuese
AU - Shelley, Jamee
AU - Yuan, Grace
AU - Lackey, Ian
AU - Prater, Jasmine
AU - Montgomery, Brock
AU - Williams, Cynthia
AU - Butler-Barnes, Sheretta T.
AU - Caburnay, Charlene
AU - Dougherty, Nikole Lobb
AU - Lu, Esther
AU - Lai, Albert
AU - Neidich, Julie
AU - Fritz, Stephanie
AU - Newland, Jason G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Background: Since March 2020, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color within the United States. As schools have shifted from virtual to in-person learning, continual guidance is necessary to understand appropriate interventions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Weekly testing of students and staff for SARS-CoV-2 within K-12 school setting could provide an additional barrier to school-based transmission, especially within schools unable to implement additional mitigation strategies and/or are in areas of high transmission. This study seeks to understand the role that weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing could play in K-12 schools. In addition, through qualitative interviews and listening sessions, this research hopes to understand community concerns and barriers regarding COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccine, and return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods/design: Sixteen middle and high schools from five school districts have been randomized into one of the following categories: (1) Weekly screening + symptomatic testing or (2) Symptomatic testing only. The primary outcome for this study will be the average of the secondary attack rate of school-based transmission per case. School-based transmission will also be assessed through qualitative contact interviews with positive contacts identified by the school contact tracers. Lastly, new total numbers of weekly cases and contacts within a school-based quarantine will provide guidance on transmission rates. Qualitative focus groups and interviews have been conducted to provide additional understanding to the acceptance of the intervention and barriers faced by the community regarding SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination. Discussion: This study will provide greater understanding of the benefit that weekly screening testing can provide in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission within K-12 schools. Close collaboration with community partners and school districts will be necessary for the success of this and similar studies. Trial Registration: NCT04875520. Registered May 6, 2021.
AB - Background: Since March 2020, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color within the United States. As schools have shifted from virtual to in-person learning, continual guidance is necessary to understand appropriate interventions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Weekly testing of students and staff for SARS-CoV-2 within K-12 school setting could provide an additional barrier to school-based transmission, especially within schools unable to implement additional mitigation strategies and/or are in areas of high transmission. This study seeks to understand the role that weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing could play in K-12 schools. In addition, through qualitative interviews and listening sessions, this research hopes to understand community concerns and barriers regarding COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccine, and return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods/design: Sixteen middle and high schools from five school districts have been randomized into one of the following categories: (1) Weekly screening + symptomatic testing or (2) Symptomatic testing only. The primary outcome for this study will be the average of the secondary attack rate of school-based transmission per case. School-based transmission will also be assessed through qualitative contact interviews with positive contacts identified by the school contact tracers. Lastly, new total numbers of weekly cases and contacts within a school-based quarantine will provide guidance on transmission rates. Qualitative focus groups and interviews have been conducted to provide additional understanding to the acceptance of the intervention and barriers faced by the community regarding SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination. Discussion: This study will provide greater understanding of the benefit that weekly screening testing can provide in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission within K-12 schools. Close collaboration with community partners and school districts will be necessary for the success of this and similar studies. Trial Registration: NCT04875520. Registered May 6, 2021.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Cluster non-randomized trial
KW - Community
KW - Community-based participatory research
KW - Public health
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Testing strategies
KW - Under-resourced community
KW - Underserved
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85131802845&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12889-022-13577-z
DO - 10.1186/s12889-022-13577-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 35698094
AN - SCOPUS:85131802845
SN - 1471-2458
VL - 22
JO - BMC Public Health
JF - BMC Public Health
IS - 1
M1 - 1177
ER -