Study finds Covid school testing likely reduced spread

Covid-19 antigen testing in Austrian schools likely helped reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, a study by researchers in Graz has found, according to ORF. The researchers analysed about one million tests taken during the first six weeks of the programme, launched in February 2021.

About one million pupils and 150,000 teachers took part, carrying out nasal-swab tests themselves one to three times a week. Participation was voluntary but required for school attendance. More than 98 per cent took part, and participation rose over time. Researchers also used PCR tests to check infection rates in a representative group.

Across the six weeks, 6,979 people tested positive. The average weekly positivity rate was 0.8 per cent among pupils and 0.22 per cent among teachers. Teachers had a significantly higher risk of testing positive than pupils in every week analysed.

Between 78.5 and 89.7 per cent of positive cases were reported as isolated cases, which the researchers said suggested transmission within schools was low. The prevalence of asymptomatic infections was about 70 per cent lower during the testing programme than beforehand.

The findings suggest that screening, alongside other protective measures, contributed to limiting transmission, the researchers said. They cautioned that the available data could not establish a causal link. The study by Christoph Zurl of the Graz University Children’s Hospital and co-authors was published in Frontiers in Public Health.