Ido Somekh1,2, Tamy Shohat2, Lital Keinan Boker3,4, Eric A F Simões5, Eli Somekh2,6. 1. Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel. 2. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 3. Israel Center for Disease Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Ramat Gan, Israel. 4. School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. 5. University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA. 6. Department of Pediatrics, Mayanei Hayeshuah Medical Center, Bnei Brak, Israel.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Benefits of school reopening must be weighed against the morbidity and mortality risks and the impact of enhancing spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We investigated the effects of school reopening and easing of social-distancing restrictions on dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Israel between March and July 2020. METHODS: We examined the nationwide age-wise weekly incidence, prevalence, SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction tests, their positivity, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and associated mortality. Temporal differences in these parameters following school reopening, school ending, and following easing of restrictions such as permission of large-scale gatherings were examined. RESULTS: Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections gradually increased following school reopening in all age groups, with a significantly higher increase in adults than children. Higher rate ratios (RRs) of sample positivity rates 21-27 days following school reopening relative to positivity rates prior to openings were found for the age groups 40-59 (RR, 4.72; 95% CI, 3.26-6.83) and 20-39 (RR, 3.37 [2.51-4.53]) years, but not for children aged 0-9 (RR, 1.46 [.85-2.51]) and 10-19 (RR, .93 [.65-1.34]) years. No increase was observed in COVID-19-associated hospitalizations and deaths following school reopening. In contrast, permission of large-scale gatherings was accompanied by increases in incidence and positivity rates of samples for all age groups, and increased hospitalizations and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis does not support a major role of school reopening in the resurgence of COVID-19 in Israel. Easing restrictions on large-scale gatherings was the major influence on this resurgence.
BACKGROUND: Benefits of school reopening must be weighed against the morbidity and mortality risks and the impact of enhancing spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We investigated the effects of school reopening and easing of social-distancing restrictions on dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Israel between March and July 2020. METHODS: We examined the nationwide age-wise weekly incidence, prevalence, SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction tests, their positivity, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and associated mortality. Temporal differences in these parameters following school reopening, school ending, and following easing of restrictions such as permission of large-scale gatherings were examined. RESULTS: Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections gradually increased following school reopening in all age groups, with a significantly higher increase in adults than children. Higher rate ratios (RRs) of sample positivity rates 21-27 days following school reopening relative to positivity rates prior to openings were found for the age groups 40-59 (RR, 4.72; 95% CI, 3.26-6.83) and 20-39 (RR, 3.37 [2.51-4.53]) years, but not for children aged 0-9 (RR, 1.46 [.85-2.51]) and 10-19 (RR, .93 [.65-1.34]) years. No increase was observed in COVID-19-associated hospitalizations and deaths following school reopening. In contrast, permission of large-scale gatherings was accompanied by increases in incidence and positivity rates of samples for all age groups, and increased hospitalizations and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis does not support a major role of school reopening in the resurgence of COVID-19 in Israel. Easing restrictions on large-scale gatherings was the major influence on this resurgence.
Authors: Shari Krishnaratne; Hannah Littlecott; Kerstin Sell; Jacob Burns; Julia E Rabe; Jan M Stratil; Tim Litwin; Clemens Kreutz; Michaela Coenen; Karin Geffert; Anna Helen Boger; Ani Movsisyan; Suzie Kratzer; Carmen Klinger; Katharina Wabnitz; Brigitte Strahwald; Ben Verboom; Eva Rehfuess; Renke L Biallas; Caroline Jung-Sievers; Stephan Voss; Lisa M Pfadenhauer Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2022-01-17
Authors: Annaleise R Howard-Jones; Asha C Bowen; Margie Danchin; Archana Koirala; Ketaki Sharma; Daniel K Yeoh; David P Burgner; Nigel W Crawford; Emma Goeman; Paul E Gray; Peter Hsu; Stephanie Kuek; Brendan J McMullan; Shidan Tosif; Danielle Wurzel; Philip N Britton Journal: J Paediatr Child Health Date: 2021-10-13 Impact factor: 1.929
Authors: Ido Somekh; Wasiur R KhudaBukhsh; Elisabeth Dowling Root; Lital Keinan Boker; Grzegorz Rempala; Eric A F Simões; Eli Somekh Journal: Open Forum Infect Dis Date: 2022-02-18 Impact factor: 4.423
Authors: Daniel A Thompson; Hoda Abbasizanjani; Richard Fry; Emily Marchant; Lucy Griffiths; Ashley Akbari; Joe Hollinghurst; Laura North; Jane Lyons; Fatemeh Torabi; Gareth Davies; Mike B Gravenor; Ronan A Lyons Journal: BMJ Paediatr Open Date: 2021-05-10