An elementary school teacher who was not vaccinated and did not wear a mask taught classes, leading to 'half of the grade' being infected with COVID-19, and further spreading the infection to the children's families.
On August 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that a teacher who had not been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) taught at a California elementary school over two days, frequently removing his mask, resulting in 12 of the 24 students in the class becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2. The CDC concluded that the outbreak originated from the unvaccinated teacher and called for the vaccination of educators who come into contact with children who cannot be vaccinated due to age requirements.
Outbreak Associated with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant in an Elementary School — Marin County, California, May–June 2021 | MMWR
On May 25, 2021, the Marin County Public Health Department (MCPH) in California reported to the CDC that an unvaccinated teacher working at an elementary school in their jurisdiction tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on May 23. The teacher developed symptoms on May 19 but continued to work until being tested on May 21. Furthermore, despite a requirement to wear masks on campus, the teacher did not wear one while reading aloud in class. As a result, since May 23, a series of COVID-19 symptoms have been reported at the elementary school among students, other staff, parents, and siblings of students.
To understand the situation, 22 of the 24 students in the teacher's class who were ineligible for vaccination due to age requirements were tested for SARS-CoV-2, and 12 tested positive. Students closer to the podium were particularly at higher risk of infection, with the attack rate reaching 80% (8 out of 10) for those seated in the first two rows of the classroom. Meanwhile, in the three rows at the back of the classroom, 4 out of 14 students tested positive, for an attack rate of 28%.
Additionally, six of 18 students in another grade at the school tested positive, and eight additional cases were confirmed among the students' parents and siblings. As a result, the final total number of infected people, including the teacher, was 27. Of the 27, 22 reported symptoms of COVID-19. Furthermore, all 18 samples that underwent genome analysis were identified as
The school has a total of 205 students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, equivalent to nursery school in Japan, and 24 staff members. Each grade has one class with 20-25 students.
In addition to the mask-wearing instructions, the school also took other measures, such as spacing all desks 6 feet apart, installing portable particulate filters in all classrooms, and keeping classroom doors and windows open. All staff members, except for the two teachers who initially tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, had been fully vaccinated.
Analyzing the survey results, the CDC pointed out, 'The COVID-19 outbreak in this case originated in an unvaccinated teacher. This highlights the importance of vaccinating school staff who have close indoor contact with children who are not eligible for vaccination. We also found that the delta variant is highly contagious and may spread rapidly among young unvaccinated children.'
The CDC then stated, 'Lack of vaccination increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in schools, particularly with new variants. However, this risk can be mitigated by implementing several preventative measures within schools,' emphasizing the importance of vaccination and other infection prevention measures.
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