An unvaccinated elementary school teacher in California infected more than half of his students with COVID-19, causing an outbreak throughout the community in Marin County, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diseases.
Why it’s important: The outbreak, which took place in May, highlights the stakes surrounding a U.S. debate among school districts that plans to implement stricter measures to curb the spread of the virus, such as universal masking in schools.
Details: The teacher who caused the outbreak continued to show up at school for two days while experiencing symptoms before finally receiving a test.
- The school in question requires teachers and students to wear masks inside. But the teacher read to her students unmasked as she showed nasal congestion and fatigue.
- The teacher tested positive for the virus on May 21 and 12 of her 22 students tested positive afterwards, according to the report.
The big picture: Thousands of students were forced to quarantine or isolate themselves due to possible exposure almost immediately after schools reopened in August. Districts have had to temporarily close schools or suspend face-to-face instruction due to outbreaks.
What they say: the outbreak “emphasizes the importance of vaccinating school staff members who are in close internal contact with children not fit for vaccination as schools reopen, ”the report reads.