Infection and transmission of COVID-19 among students and teachers in schools in Japan after the reopening in June 2020

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and teachers in elementary schools (ages 6–12 years) and junior high schools (ages 13–15 years) in Japan between 1 June and 31 July 2020. We requested all schools to provide reports when students or teachers tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 207 cases were reported among students. Household transmission was identified as the dominant transmission route, confirmed in 71.4% of elementary schools and 60.3% of junior high schools. A total of 39 cases were reported among teachers, of which transmission route was unknown in 72.4% of elementary schools and 90.0% of junior high schools.

Drivers of the Second Wave and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 cases in Uganda: A Retrospective Study of Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases, March-June, 2021

“…By the time the schools were closed again in June, 2021, the cases both identi ed and unidenti ed were very high and further contributed to community transmissions upon returning home. As much as our school situation and operational settings may be different with so many boarding schools compared to other regions of the world, schools (students and teachers) had been reported as one of the super spreaders of SARS-CoV-2 (21,22). The social gatherings were further fueled by stigma, social media misinformation and falsi cations that circulated widely about COVID-19 that affected many of the instituted prevention measures as also reported elsewhere (23).…”

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SARS-CoV-2 infection control implementation based on sources of infection showing directions for three age groups in Japan

“…Additional studies should be conducted to ascertain if school life can be undertaken safely as schools open gradually. Although schools in Japan have opened in earnest, household transmission was identified as a dominant route of students [14]. We hope that policies will be chosen based on carefully analyzed data from epidemiological surveys.…”