ArticlePhilosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences2021
Shut and re-open: the role of schools in the spread of COVID-19 in Europe.
Article in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemicThe Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Systematic review of empirical studies comparing the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19.The Journal of infection · 2021Pooled it
- Do school closures and school reopenings affect community transmission of COVID-19? A systematic review of observational studies.BMJ open · 2021Pooled it
- Comparison of Saliva and Nasopharyngeal Swab Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing for Detection of SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA internal medicine · 2021Pooled it
- School is more than a place to learn: An intersectoral assessment of adolescent well-being prior to and after the COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2025Article
- COVID-19 isolation and quarantine orders in Berlin-Reinickendorf (Germany): How many, how long and to whom?PloS one · 2024Article
- Transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in a strictly-Orthodox Jewish community in the UK.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Assessing the role of imported cases on the establishment of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of concern in Bolton, UK.Epidemiology and infection · 2022Article
- Non-pharmaceutical intervention levels to reduce the COVID-19 attack ratio among children.Royal Society open science · 2022Article
- Reopening strategies, mobility and COVID-19 infections in Europe: panel data analysis.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Impact of school closures and reopening on COVID-19 caseload in 6 cities of Pakistan: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- No causal effect of school closures in Japan on the spread of COVID-19 in spring 2020.Nature medicine · 2021Article
- The impact of public health interventions in the Nordic countries during the first year of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and evolution.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2021Article
- Practical Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort in Kindergartens. A Case Study of Slovenia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Big Data for Biomedical Education with a Focus on the COVID-19 Era: An Integrative Review of the Literature.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Review
- Modelling that shaped the early COVID-19 pandemic response in the UK.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Article
- Estimating the effects of reopening of schools on the course of the epidemic of COVID-19.Epidemiology and infection · 2021Article
- Widespread testing, case isolation and contact tracing may allow safe school reopening with continued moderate physical distancing: A modeling analysis of King County, WA data.Infectious Disease Modelling · 2021Article
- Measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Article
- Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by Children.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
We investigate the effect of school closure and subsequent reopening on the transmission of COVID-19, by considering Denmark, Norway, Sweden and German states as case studies. By comparing the growth rates in daily hospitalizations or confirmed cases under different interventions, we provide evidence that school closures contribute to a reduction in the growth rate approximately 7 days after implementation. Limited school attendance, such as older students sitting exams or the partial return of younger year groups, does not appear to significantly affect community transmission. In countries where community transmission is generally low, such as Denmark or Norway, a large-scale reopening of schools while controlling or suppressing the epidemic appears feasible. However, school reopening can contribute to statistically significant increases in the growth rate in countries like Germany, where community transmission is relatively high. In all regions, a combination of low classroom occupancy and robust test-and-trace measures were in place. Our findings underscore the need for a cautious evaluation of reopening strategies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Modelling that shaped the early COVID-19 pandemic response in the UK'.
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