Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Coma, Ermengol
• Català, Martí
• Méndez-Boo, Leonardo
• Alonso, Sergio
• Hermosilla, Eduardo
• Alvarez-Lacalle, Enric
• Pino, David
• Medina, Manuel
• Asso, Laia
• Gatell, Anna
• Bassat, Quique
• Mas, Ariadna
• Soriano-Arandes, Antoni
• Fina Avilés, Francesc
• Prats, Clara

Titel

Unravelling the role of the mandatory use of face covering masks for the control of SARS-CoV-2 in schools: a quasi-experimental study nested in a population-based cohort in Catalonia (Spain)

Ist Teil von

• Archives of disease in childhood, 2023-02, Vol.108 (2), p.131

Ort / Verlag

England

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• To assess the effectiveness of mandatory use of face covering masks (FCMs) in schools during the first term of the 2021-2022 academic year. A retrospective population-based study. Schools in Catalonia (Spain). 599 314 children aged 3-11 years attending preschool (3-5 years, without FCM mandate) and primary education (6-11 years, with FCM mandate). From 13 September to 22 December 2021 (before Omicron variant). A quasi-experimental comparison between children in the last grade of preschool (5 years old), as a control group, and children in year 1 of primary education (6 years old), as an interventional group. Incidence of SARS-CoV-2, secondary attack rates (SARs) and effective reproductive number (R*). SARS-CoV-2 incidence was significantly lower in preschool than in primary education, and an increasing trend with age was observed. Six-year-old children showed higher incidence than 5 year olds (3.54% vs 3.1%; OR 1.15 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.22)) and slightly lower but not statistically significant SAR (4.36% vs 4.59%; incidence risk ratio 0.96 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.11)) and R* (0.9 vs 0.93; OR 0.96 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.09)). Results remained consistent using a regression discontinuity design and linear regression extrapolation approaches. We found no significant differences in SARS-CoV-2 transmission due to FCM mandates in Catalonian schools. Instead, age was the most important factor in explaining the transmission risk for children attending school.