Teachers Can Play Substantial Role in School SARS-CoV-2 Transmissions

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

A new study, published in MMWR, highlights the significant role that teachers can play in SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools.

Researchers examined nine clusters of transmission among 13 educators and 32 students at six elementary schools in Georgia from Dec. 1, 2020 to Jan. 20, 2021. For clusters in which the index patient was known, a student was the index patient in one cluster, and a teacher was the index patient in four. All but one cluster involved one or more educators and likely educator-to-student transmission. Physical distancing wasn't always possible, and inadequate mask use probably contributed to the virus's spread in five clusters.

The researchers write, "Adding COVID-19 vaccination for educators as an additional mitigation measure, when available, might serve several important functions, including protecting educators at risk for severe COVID-19–associated illness, potentially reducing in-school SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and minimizing interruptions to in-person learning, all of which have important implications for educational equity and community health." They add, "Because most children are not yet eligible for vaccination, continued implementation of multifaceted COVID-19 mitigation strategies in schools, including universal and correct mask use and physical distancing, even after educators are vaccinated, will be critical given the limited available evidence on reduction of transmission postvaccination and vaccine-related long-term protection."