A new study disputes the widely-held belief that childcare centers are primary sources of COVID-19 transmission. These findings could influence future exclusion guidelines.
Limited Transmission in Child Care Centers
Over the past three years, the daily routine of dropping children off at daycare has been fraught with concern. Fear of children contracting COVID-19 often battled against the worry of an unexpected call to retrieve them due to a classroom case. A fresh perspective from a study published in JAMA Network Open may alleviate some of these anxieties.The study monitored 83 children across 11 childcare centers, extending its observation to the children’s household contacts for a total 118 adults, 16 siblings, and 21 providers over a year. While participants underwent weekly COVID-19 tests and maintained symptom diaries, center directors reported weekly on the health of all 1,154 children and 402 care providers in attendance.
