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. 2020 Sep;25(38):2001645.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.38.2001645.

Surveillance of COVID-19 school outbreaks, Germany, March to August 2020

Eveline Otte Im Kampe  1 , Ann-Sophie Lehfeld  1 , Silke Buda  1 , Udo Buchholz  1 , Walter Haas  1
Affiliations

Surveillance of COVID-19 school outbreaks, Germany, March to August 2020

Eveline Otte Im Kampe et al. Euro Surveill. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Mitigation of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Germany included school closures in early March 2020. After reopening in April, preventive measures were taken in schools. We analysed national surveillance system data on COVID-19 school outbreaks during different time periods. After reopening, smaller outbreaks (average: 2.2/week) occurred despite low incidence in the general population. School closures might have a detrimental effect on children and should be applied only cautiously and in combination with other measures.

Keywords: COVID-19; Germany; SARS-CoV-2; children; school outbreaks; surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure
Figure
Number of school outbreaks (n = 48) and number of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases (n = 216) by age and week of illness onset of the first case in the outbreak, Germany, 28 January–31 August 2020
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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