According to the CDC, Unvaccinated Teacher Infected Half of Their Students with Covid

When an unvaccinated teacher in a California elementary school got the Covid-19 Delta form, they infected half of their students and a total of 26 people, according to researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Despite having Covid-19 symptoms, the teacher went to school for two days and read aloud to the class without using a mask, according to the study. Infections were correlated with the seating pattern in the classroom, with children sitting closest to the teacher being the most likely to get infected.

As US schools reopen, authorities said the research demonstrated why vaccinations, masks, and other preventative measures are still necessary to prevent Covid-19 infections. They further advised that anyone experiencing Covid-19 symptoms stay at home to avoid infecting others.

“Evidence has repeatedly demonstrated that multi-layer prevention strategies – such as vaccination for all children and adults who are eligible; masks for all students, teachers, staff, and visitors; ventilation; cohorting; physical distancing; and screening testing – work to prevent the spread of Covid in schools,” said CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky at a press conference on Friday.

The research is expected to fuel calls for vaccine requirements in schools, which have already been introduced in certain districts, including as New York City. The children in the Marin County, California inquiry were too young to be immunized.

Children aged 12 to 17 are eligible for vaccination, yet vaccination rates have fallen behind older age groups who are more susceptible to Covid-19 problems.

“Delta is doubly infectious, and we need to amp up our game to keep kids in school safely,” said Tom Frieden, a former head of the CDC. This implies that all teachers, staff, and eligible kids must get immunized, and everyone must wear a mask. It’s critical to have multiple layers of defense.”

“Unfortunately, many schools have chosen not to utilize these recommended tools,” Walensky said. At the same time as school reopening, we are aware of and actively monitoring cases and hospitalizations in children.”

Another CDC research issued on Friday indicated that there had been nearly 2 million Covid-19 infections in children aged five to seventeen, with 300 deaths as a result.

Researchers looked into an unnamed elementary school in Marin County during the outbreak. In illness studies, the CDC has a policy of withholding identifying information.

The outbreak occurred in mid-May to early June, with the sick teacher being one of just two unvaccinated staff members at the school. In mid-May, the instructor developed symptoms of Covid-19, but continued to work until a positive coronavirus test was obtained.

Even though the school required face coverings indoors, the teacher did not wear one when reading to the kids. Half of the students in the class, as well as six students from a different grade and eight family members of the teacher’s students, were affected. One teacher infected a total of 26 people.

The high frequencies of infections also demonstrated how Delta can be particularly transmissible among unvaccinated groups, such as children who are too young to receive the vaccine, according to the researchers.

There was, however, one bright point. High immunization rates in Marin County likely prevented more community diseases, as prior study predicted.

The CDC also released a report on how Los Angeles County schools were able to keep the number of cases among children below the community transmission rate.

Mitigation techniques such as masks, physical separation, and tests, according to researchers, “might” help prevent Covid-19 spread in schools. It’s worth noting that the research was done before the Delta variation became popular.

According to a third CDC survey, only 32% of youth aged 12 to 17 were fully vaccinated, with percentages varying greatly by state, as with adult vaccines. Mississippi had the lowest vaccination rate, while Vermont had the highest, with 20 percent of teenagers vaccinated compared to 70 percent in Vermont.

The gender of the teacher was not reported by the CDC, thus this article was updated on August 31, 2021 to remove any references to her being a woman.

Article By: Jessica Glenza, Sat 28 Aug 2021 16.45 BST

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