COVID: low transmission rates in schools
A hopeful study from Wisconsin suggested that in-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can be significantly lower than in the community (see https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7004e3.htm ) Details: -- 4836 students and 604 staff members participated in in-person learning in 17 K-12 rural Wood County, Wisconsin schools, from September til December 2020 -- 3 public school districts, one private school district, and one independent private school -- 8 schools were K-6 with 1529 students attending in-person, 9 schools were grades 7-12 with 3347 students attending in-person -- one school did not agree to participate, based on teacher preference -- 12.4% of Wood County children were attending school virtually -- Wood County has a population of 73,000, 100 persons per square mile. 92% were non-Hispanic white, median income $55,000, 11% met poverty thresholds --school infection mitigation measures: 2-3 layer cloth face coverings for all students, with a grant for