TY - JOUR
T1 - SARS-CoV-2 screening testing in schools for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities
AU - for the COMPASS-T Study Group
AU - Sherby, Michael R.
AU - Walsh, Tyler J.
AU - Lai, Albert M.
AU - Neidich, Julie A.
AU - Balls-Berry, Joyce E.
AU - Morris, Stephanie M.
AU - Head, Richard
AU - Prener, Christopher G.
AU - Newland, Jason G.
AU - Gurnett, Christina A.
AU - Baldenweck, Megan
AU - Bono, Kelly
AU - Brodsky, Victor B.
AU - Caburnay, Charlene A.
AU - Constantino, John N.
AU - Dougherty, Nikole Lobb
AU - Dubois, James M.
AU - Fritz, Stephanie A.
AU - Gotto, George S.
AU - Imbeah, Adwoa
AU - Kalb, Luther G.
AU - Liu, Jingxia
AU - Maricque, Brett B.
AU - McKay, Virginia R.
AU - Myers, Linda S.
AU - Poor, Timothy J.
AU - Powell, Byron J.
AU - Mueller, Nancy B.
AU - Schlaggar, Bradley L.
AU - Schmidt, Ann
AU - Snider, Elsa
AU - Traughber, Matthew C.
AU - van Stone, Maureen
AU - Vestal, Liz
AU - Wilcher-Roberts, Myisha
N1 - Funding Information:
The COMPASS-T project is a joint partnership between the Washington University in St. Louis Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (WUIDDRC), the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute of Human Development, the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Maryland, and the Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD) in Missouri. Other key collaborators include the Brown School Evaluation Center, the Health Communication Research Laboratory, and the Institute for Informatics at Washington University. This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health through the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics - Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) Program (P50HD103525-01S1). We thank the Genome Technology Access Center at the McDonnell Genome Institute of the Washington University School of Medicine for running the SARS-CoV-2 saliva testing, as well as the Department of Pathology and Immunology for access to their CAP/CLIA laboratory and their expertise in development of the saliva SARS-CoV-2 test. We also thank Steven Lawrence for access to the Washington University in St Louis undergraduate screening data. The COMPASS-T Study Group: Megan Baldenweck2; Kelly Bono2; Victor B. Brodsky, MD4; Charlene A. Caburnay, PhD, MPH7; John N. Constantino, MD8; Nikole Lobb Dougherty, MA7; James M. Dubois, PhD3; Stephanie A. Fritz, MD, MSCI2; George S. Gotto IV, PhD9; Adwoa Imbeah2; Luther G. Kalb, PhD10; Jingxia Liu, PhD11; Brett B. Maricque, PhD5; Virginia R. McKay, PhD7; Linda S. Myers, EdD10; Timothy J. Poor7; Byron J. Powell, PhD9; Nancy B. Mueller, MPH7; Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD10; Ann Schmidt, MPH7; Elsa Snider, MPH7; Matthew C. Traughber, PhD12; Maureen van Stone, JD, MS10; Liz Vestal, LMSW7; Myisha Wilcher-Roberts, MA77 Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 8 Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 9 Institute for Human Development, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 10 Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 11 Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 12 Division of Evaluation and Research, Special School District of St. Louis County, MO
Funding Information:
Research reported in this publication was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award number 3P50HD103525-01S1 to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at Washington University and the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences Award number UL1TR002345 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Background: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools primarily for typically developing children is rare. However, less is known about transmission in schools for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who are often unable to mask or maintain social distancing. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 positivity and in-school transmission rates using weekly screening tests for school staff and students and describe the concurrent deployment of mitigation strategies in six schools for children with IDD. Methods: From November 23, 2020, to May, 28, 2021, weekly voluntary screening for SARS-CoV-2 with a high sensitivity molecular-based saliva test was offered to school staff and students. Weekly positivity rates were determined and compared to local healthcare system and undergraduate student screening data. School-based transmission was assessed among participants quarantined for in-school exposure. School administrators completed a standardized survey to assess school mitigation strategies. Results: A total of 59 students and 416 staff participated. An average of 304 school staff and students were tested per week. Of 7289 tests performed, 21 (0.29%) new SARS-CoV-2 positive cases were identified. The highest weekly positivity rate was 1.2% (n = 4) across all schools, which was less than community positivity rates. Two cases of in-school transmission were identified, each among staff, representing 2% (2/103) of participants quarantined for in-school exposure. Mitigation strategies included higher than expected student mask compliance, reduced room capacity, and phased reopening. Conclusions: During 24 weeks that included the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in winter 2020-21, we found lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 screening test positivity among staff and students of six schools for children with IDD compared to community rates. In-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was low among those quarantined for in-school exposure. However, the impact of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant on the effectiveness of these proven mitigation strategies remains unknown. Trial registration: Prior to enrollment, this study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on September 25, 2020, identifier NCT04565509, titled Supporting the Health and Well-being of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disability During COVID-19 Pandemic.
AB - Background: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools primarily for typically developing children is rare. However, less is known about transmission in schools for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who are often unable to mask or maintain social distancing. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 positivity and in-school transmission rates using weekly screening tests for school staff and students and describe the concurrent deployment of mitigation strategies in six schools for children with IDD. Methods: From November 23, 2020, to May, 28, 2021, weekly voluntary screening for SARS-CoV-2 with a high sensitivity molecular-based saliva test was offered to school staff and students. Weekly positivity rates were determined and compared to local healthcare system and undergraduate student screening data. School-based transmission was assessed among participants quarantined for in-school exposure. School administrators completed a standardized survey to assess school mitigation strategies. Results: A total of 59 students and 416 staff participated. An average of 304 school staff and students were tested per week. Of 7289 tests performed, 21 (0.29%) new SARS-CoV-2 positive cases were identified. The highest weekly positivity rate was 1.2% (n = 4) across all schools, which was less than community positivity rates. Two cases of in-school transmission were identified, each among staff, representing 2% (2/103) of participants quarantined for in-school exposure. Mitigation strategies included higher than expected student mask compliance, reduced room capacity, and phased reopening. Conclusions: During 24 weeks that included the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in winter 2020-21, we found lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 screening test positivity among staff and students of six schools for children with IDD compared to community rates. In-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was low among those quarantined for in-school exposure. However, the impact of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant on the effectiveness of these proven mitigation strategies remains unknown. Trial registration: Prior to enrollment, this study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on September 25, 2020, identifier NCT04565509, titled Supporting the Health and Well-being of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disability During COVID-19 Pandemic.
KW - COVID-19
KW - COVID-19 School tests
KW - Children with IDD
KW - Intellectual and developmental disabilities
KW - SARS-CoV-2 testing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114355937&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s11689-021-09376-z
DO - 10.1186/s11689-021-09376-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 34465306
AN - SCOPUS:85114355937
SN - 1866-1947
VL - 13
JO - Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders
JF - Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders
IS - 1
M1 - 31
ER -