COVID-19 School Closure Experiences in rural Alaska and reimagining the Roles of Education and Teachers

IntroductionTo present an analysis of the Brazilian health system and subnational (state) variation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, based on 10 non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).Materials and methodsWe collected daily information on implementation of 10 NPI designed to inform the public of health risks and promote distancing and mask use at the national level for eight countries across the Americas. We then analyse the adoption of the 10 policies across Brazil’s 27 states over time, individually and using a composite index. We draw on this index to assess the timeliness and rigour of NPI implementation across the country, from the date of the first case, 26 February 2020. We also compile Google data on population mobility by state to describe changes in mobility throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsBrazil’s national NPI response was the least stringent among countries analysed. In the absence of a unified federal response to the pandemic, Brazilian state policy implementation was neither homogenous nor synchronised. The median NPI was no stay-at-home order, a recommendation to wear masks in public space but not a requirement, a full school closure and partial restrictions on businesses, public transportation, intrastate travel, interstate travel and international travel. These restrictions were implemented 45 days after the first case in each state, on average. Rondônia implemented the earliest and most rigorous policies, with school closures, business closures, information campaigns and restrictions on movement 24 days after the first case; Mato Grosso do Sul had the fewest, least stringent restrictions on movement, business operations and no mask recommendation.ConclusionsThe study identifies wide variation in national-level NPI responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our focus on Brazil identifies subsequent variability in how and when states implemented NPI to contain COVID-19. States’ NPIs and their scores on the composite policy index both align with the governors’ political affiliations: opposition governors implemented earlier, more stringent sanitary measures than those supporting the Bolsonaro administration. A strong, unified national response to a pandemic is essential for keeping the population safe and disease-free, both at the outset of an outbreak and as communities begin to reopen. This national response should be aligned with state and municipal implementation of NPI, which we show is not the case in Brazil.

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A Longitudinal Study of Subjective Daytime Sleepiness Changes in Elementary School Children Following a Temporary School Closure Due to COVID-19

Children ◽

10.3390/children8030183 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 183

Author(s):

Yoko Komada ◽

Yoshiki Ishibashi ◽

Shunta Hagiwara ◽

Mariko Kobori ◽

Akiyoshi Shimura

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

School Children ◽

Daytime Sleepiness ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Japanese Version ◽

School Closure ◽

Health Concern ◽

Sleep Habits ◽

Social Jetlag ◽

Questionnaire Surveys

Excessive daytime sleepiness is increasingly being recognized as a major global health concern. However, there have been few studies related to sleepiness and its associated factors in elementary school children. In Japan, all schools were closed from February to May 2020 to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks. The aim of this study was to identify changes in the subjective sleepiness of pupils during the 1.5-year period and to elucidate factors associated with changes in sleepiness. Questionnaire surveys about pupils’ sleep habits and the Japanese version of the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS-J) were conducted longitudinally at one elementary school in June 2019, January 2020, and June 2020. The average ∆PDSS score was 0.94 ± 5.51 (mean ± standard deviation) from June 2019 to January 2020 and −1.65 ± 5.71 (t[498] = 6.13, p < 0.01) from January 2020 to June 2020. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that decreasing social jetlag was associated with decreasing PDSS scores (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62–0.96, p = 0.02) during the school closure. A less restrictive school schedule secondary to a COVID-19-related school closure decreased sleepiness in children and was associated with decreasing social jetlag.

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Distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: School closure in Indonesia

International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology ◽

10.1080/0020739x.2021.1875072 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-21

Author(s):

Budi Azhari ◽

Iwan Fajri

Keyword(s):

Distance Learning ◽

School Closure

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Modeling the interplay between demography, social contact patterns, and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the South West Shewa Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia

BMC Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12916-021-01967-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Filippo Trentini ◽

Giorgio Guzzetta ◽

Margherita Galli ◽

Agnese Zardini ◽

Fabio Manenti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attack Rate ◽

Reproduction Number ◽

Demographic Factors ◽

School Closure ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

The South ◽

South West ◽

Mixing Patterns ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Socio Demographic Factors

Abstract Background COVID-19 spread may have a dramatic impact in countries with vulnerable economies and limited availability of, and access to, healthcare resources and infrastructures. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, a low prevalence and mortality have been observed so far. Methods We collected data on individuals’ social contacts in the South West Shewa Zone (SWSZ) of Ethiopia across geographical contexts characterized by heterogeneous population density, work and travel opportunities, and access to primary care. We assessed how socio-demographic factors and observed mixing patterns can influence the COVID-19 disease burden, by simulating SARS-CoV-2 transmission in remote settlements, rural villages, and urban neighborhoods, under school closure mandate. Results From national surveillance data, we estimated a net reproduction number of 1.62 (95% CI 1.55–1.70). We found that, at the end of an epidemic mitigated by school closure alone, 10–15% of the population residing in the SWSZ would have been symptomatic and 0.3–0.4% of the population would require mechanical ventilation and/or possibly result in a fatal outcome. Higher infection attack rates are expected in more urbanized areas, but the highest incidence of critical disease is expected in remote subsistence farming settlements. School closure contributed to reduce the reproduction number by 49% and the attack rate of infections by 28–34%. Conclusions Our results suggest that the relatively low burden of COVID-19 in Ethiopia observed so far may depend on social mixing patterns, underlying demography, and the enacted school closures. Our findings highlight that socio-demographic factors can also determine marked heterogeneities across different geographical contexts within the same region, and they contribute to understand why sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a relatively lower attack rate of severe cases compared to high-income countries.

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