We aim to identify those measures that effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austrian schools. Using cluster tracing data we calibrate an agent-based epidemiological model and consider situations where the B1.617.2 (delta) virus strain is dominant and parts of the population are vaccinated to quantify the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as room ventilation, reduction of class size, wearing of masks during lessons, vaccinations, and school entry testing by SARS-CoV2-antigen tests. In the data we find that 40% of all clusters involved no more than two cases, and 3% of the clusters only had more than 20 cases. The model shows that combinations of NPIs together with vaccinations are necessary to allow for a controlled opening of schools under sustained community transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. For plausible vaccination rates, primary (secondary) schools require a combination of at least two (three) of the above NPIs. How to safely maintain open schools during a pandemic is still controversial. Here, the authors aim to identify those measures that effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austrian schools, with an agent-based mathematical model.
【저자키워드】 viral infection, Computational science, Complex networks, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, vaccination, pandemic, variant, Ventilation, Masks, Intervention, Mask, Spread, Schools, mathematical model, NPIs, Cluster, community transmission, epidemiological, School, Combination, Vaccinations, NPI, open, Austrian schools, reduction, agent, combinations, measure, vaccination rates, virus strain, dominant, identify, involved, maintain, sustained, mathematical, had more, the SARS-CoV-2, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Cluster, School, measure, Assessing,