London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

COVID-19 infection rates among students and staff in schools were linked to those found in the wider community at the peak of the second wave, one of the largest studies in schools has found.

The Schools Infection Study (SIS) – a partnership between Public Health England, the Office for National Statistics and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) – tested nearly 10,000 students and staff across England in November.

Testing occurred at schools, and was not determined by participants having any symptoms.

The study found 1.24% of pupils (95% confidence interval 0.96% to 1.58%) and 1.29% of staff (95% confidence interval 0.96% to 1.68%) tested positive for current infection overall.

The percentage of staff testing positive for current infection was higher in secondary schools (1.47%: 95% confidence interval: 1.08% to 1.97%) than in primary schools (0.75%: 95% confidence interval: 0.32% to 1.47%).

For pupils, the percentage testing positive for current infection was also higher in secondary schools (1.48%: 95% confidence interval: 1.10% to 1.98%) than in primary schools (0.89%: 95% confidence interval: 0.54% to 1.39%).

However, the 95% confidence intervals indicate that these differences between pupils and staff and primary and secondary schools are not statistically significant.

According to a separate COVID-19 Infection Survey, 1.2% of the general population (95% credible interval 1.15% to 1.29%) had the coronavirus during the week 8 November to 14 November.

Dr Shamez Ladhani, a Consultant at PHE and the study’s chief investigator, said: “While there is still more research to be done, these results appear to show that the rate of infection among students and staff attending school closely mirrors what’s happening outside the school gates. That’s why we all need to take responsibility for driving infections down if we want to keep schools open and safe for our children.

 “We are immensely grateful to the staff and pupils who have volunteered to participate in this study. They have given us the clearest picture to date of the landscape of infection in educational settings.”

Students and staff are being tested for both the presence of the virus and antibodies, which indicate past infection, throughout the school year. This is to detect new cases, monitor COVID-19 related absences from school, and assess the effectiveness of measures put in place to control the virus.

Professor James Hargreaves, co-chief investigator of the study at LSHTM, said: “The more information we can collect about infection rates within schools, the better understanding we have of their role in transmission within the wider community and how to minimise SARS-CoV2 transmission.

“These findings show that, in November, a significant number of students and staff who were attending school had coronavirus infection. With this crucial collaboration between the scientists, school staff and pupils, and their parents, we hope to answer questions to ensure children’s education can continue in the safest way possible.”