SARS-CoV-2 Positivity on or After 9 Days Among Quarantined Student Contacts of Confirmed Cases

February 19, 2021

Eric J. Nelson, MD, PhD, MS, Sarah L. McKune, PhD, MPH, Kathleen A. Ryan, MD; John A. Lednicky, PhD, MS, Susanne R. Crowe, MHA, Paul D. Myers, MS, J. Glenn Morris Jr, MD, MPH&TM

JAMA

This study assessed the positivity rates for SARS-CoV-2 infection among students who came into close contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alachua County, Florida. Quarantine protocol for asymptomatic contacts included returning to school the day after a negative result from a test administered on day 9 of quarantine or a 14-day quarantine if no test was administered. The test positivity rate for tests administered on days 9 to 14 of quarantine was 5%. Of the 495 students who were identified as suspected cases, 52% tested positive. Over 2000 contacts were identified, and of the 134 contacts who received a test on the 3rd day of quarantine, 10% tested positive. For the 839 students who were tested on days 9 to 14, 4.8% tested positive. Following the 9-day testing and quarantine protocol, students lost fewer days of instruction (8097) compared to students following the 14-day quarantine and no testing protocol (11746 days). The results of this study provided insight as to quarantine and testing protocols for school exposures to COVID-19.

Nelson EJ, McKune SL, Ryan KA, et al. SARS-CoV-2 Positivity on or After 9 Days Among Quarantined Student Contacts of Confirmed Cases. JAMA 2021; published online Feb. DOI:10.1001/jama.2021.2392.

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