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Volume 30, Number 1—January 2024
Research

COVID-19–Related School Closures, United States, July 27, 2020–June 30, 2022

Nicole ZviedriteComments to Author , Ferdous Jahan, Sarah Moreland1, Faruque Ahmed, and Amra Uzicanin
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (N. Zviedrite, F. Jahan, S. Moreland, F. Ahmed, A. Uzicanin); Cherokee Nation Operational Solutions, LLC, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA (F. Jahan); Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA (S. Moreland)

Main Article

Figure 1

COVID-19–related school closures, dominant COVID-19 variants, and timing of vaccination availability, United States, July 27, 2020–June 30, 2022. School closure was defined as a transition from being open to being closed for in-person instruction excluding any scheduled days off; fully in-person and hybrid learning modalities were classified as open, and fully remote and closed were classified as closed. Transmission-related reasons were COVID-19 cases, suspected cases, increased student absenteeism, increased staff absenteeism, cluster or widespread transmission in the community, state or local guidance or mandate to close schools in response to COVID-19, to clean or disinfect school facilities, and other. Non–transmission-related reasons were COVID-19 vaccinations and side effects of vaccination of staff or students, teacher or staff shortage, for student or staff mental health, and other reasons associated with COVID-19. Timeline of COVID-19 variants derived from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Museum COVID-19 Timeline (11) and defined as the point at which a variant accounted for the largest proportion of cases. Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccination for teachers and staff as part of the essential workforce on March 2, 2021, and all persons >16 years of age on April 19, 2021 (12). Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended COVID-19 vaccination for persons 12–15 years of age on May 12, 2021, and for persons 5–11 years of age on November 2, 2021 (11).

Figure 1. COVID-19–related school closures, dominant COVID-19 variants, and timing of vaccination availability, United States, July 27, 2020–June 30, 2022. School closure was defined as a transition from being open to being closed for in-person instruction excluding any scheduled days off; fully in-person and hybrid learning modalities were classified as open, and fully remote and closed were classified as closed. Transmission-related reasons were COVID-19 cases, suspected cases, increased student absenteeism, increased staff absenteeism, cluster or widespread transmission in the community, state or local guidance or mandate to close schools in response to COVID-19, to clean or disinfect school facilities, and other. Non–transmission-related reasons were COVID-19 vaccinations and side effects of vaccination of staff or students, teacher or staff shortage, for student or staff mental health, and other reasons associated with COVID-19. Timeline of COVID-19 variants derived from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Museum COVID-19 Timeline (11) and defined as the point at which a variant accounted for the largest proportion of cases. Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 vaccination for teachers and staff as part of the essential workforce on March 2, 2021, and all persons >16 years of age on April 19, 2021 (12). Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended COVID-19 vaccination for persons 12–15 years of age on May 12, 2021, and for persons 5–11 years of age on November 2, 2021 (11).

Main Article

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1Current affiliation: Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Page created: November 08, 2023
Page updated: December 20, 2023
Page reviewed: December 20, 2023
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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