Utility of a Test-to-Return Strategy to Identify Individuals With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Prekindergarten Through Grade 12 School Setting-District of Columbia, January 2022

Abstract

The highly transmissible severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant led to increased hospitalizations, staffing shortages, and increased school closures. To reduce spread in school-aged children during the Omicron peak, the District of Columbia implemented a test-to-return strategy in public and public charter schools after a 2-week break from in-person learning.

Keywords: COVID-19 testing; District of Columbia; K–12 schools; evaluation; population-based surveillance.