TY - JOUR
T1 - Saliva molecular testing for sars-cov-2 surveillance in two italian primary schools
AU - Carmagnola, Daniela
AU - Pellegrini, Gaia
AU - Canciani, Elena
AU - Henin, Dolaji
AU - Perrotta, Mariachiara
AU - Forlanini, Federica
AU - Barcellini, Lucia
AU - Dellavia, Claudia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors.
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - Background: No evidence has so far proven a significant role of schools in SARS-CoV-2 transmission, while the negative effects of their closure on children and adolescents are well documented. Surveillance, by means of frequent students and staff testing, has been advocated in order to implement school safety. Our aim was to report the results of a school surveillance program for the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pre- and asymptomatic subjects, by means of molecular salivary testing (MST). Methods: School surveillance in two schools in Milan, Italy, was carried out for six weeks. Each participant received a saliva collection kit, to be self-performed. Results: 401 students and 12 teachers were enrolled, and 5 positive children in 5 different classes were observed. All the cases were asymptomatic. Their nasopharyngeal swab was positive on the same day in four cases, while in one case it resulted negative on the same day and positive 3 days later. In one positive case, the whole family was set under surveillance. The positive child did not develop symptoms and no family member was infected. Conclusions: MST might represent an efficient way to actively survey communities in order to detect asymptomatic cases, thus limiting SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
AB - Background: No evidence has so far proven a significant role of schools in SARS-CoV-2 transmission, while the negative effects of their closure on children and adolescents are well documented. Surveillance, by means of frequent students and staff testing, has been advocated in order to implement school safety. Our aim was to report the results of a school surveillance program for the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pre- and asymptomatic subjects, by means of molecular salivary testing (MST). Methods: School surveillance in two schools in Milan, Italy, was carried out for six weeks. Each participant received a saliva collection kit, to be self-performed. Results: 401 students and 12 teachers were enrolled, and 5 positive children in 5 different classes were observed. All the cases were asymptomatic. Their nasopharyngeal swab was positive on the same day in four cases, while in one case it resulted negative on the same day and positive 3 days later. In one positive case, the whole family was set under surveillance. The positive child did not develop symptoms and no family member was infected. Conclusions: MST might represent an efficient way to actively survey communities in order to detect asymptomatic cases, thus limiting SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Molecular salivary testing
KW - School surveillance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113907976&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/children8070544
DO - 10.3390/children8070544
M3 - Article
SN - 2227-9067
VL - 8
JO - Children
JF - Children
IS - 7
M1 - 544
ER -