Notes From the Field

Multipathogen Respiratory Virus Testing Among Primary and Secondary School Students and Staff Members in a Large Metropolitan School District

Missouri, November 2, 2022-April 19, 2023

Jennifer L. Goldman, MD; Brian R. Lee, PhD; Janelle Porter, DSW; Anila Deliu, MPH; Shannon Tilsworth, MSN; Olivia M. Almendares, MSPH; Sadia Sleweon, MPH; Hannah L. Kirking, MD; Rangaraj Selvarangan, PhD; Jennifer E. Schuster, MD

Disclosures

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2023;72(28):772-774.

Abstract and Introduction

Introduction

Respiratory virus infections are common in school-aged children.^[1] Although children spend most of their awake hours in the school setting, few data are available on the prevalence of respiratory viruses in schools. Surveillance for respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2 has not been widely conducted in primary and secondary schools.^[2]

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Abstract and Introduction
Prospective Surveillance and Preliminary Results
Preliminary Conclusions
References

Table. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing results from self-collected nasal swabs from students and staff members participating in prospective respiratory virus surveillance testing in schools (N = 3,232) — Missouri, November 2, 2022–April 19, 2023
Virus detected, no. (%)	School level, no. of specimens (% of total)
	Pre-K n = 90 (2.8)		Elementary school n = 1,413 (43.7)		Middle school n = 479 (14.8)		High school n = 378 (11.7)		Staff members n = 872 (27.0)
	No.	% (95% CI)	No.	% (95% CI)	No.	% (95% CI)	No.	% (95% CI)	No.	% (95% CI)
Any virus detection, 805 (24.9)*	36	40.0 (26.4–45.2)	466	33.0 (29.6–36.7)	117	24.4 (18.1–29.2)	63	16.7 (12.9–20.5)	123	14.1 (10.9–16.5)
Rhinovirus/Enterovirus, 392 (12.1)	13	14.4 (3.2–29.8)	241	17.1 (14.5–20.0)	65	13.6 (7.9–17.6)	31	8.2 (6.0–10.3)	42	4.8 (3.2–6.5)
Adenovirus, 70 (2.2)	11	12.2 (7.6–21.0)	46	3.3 (2.2–4.5)	7	1.5 (0.8–3.8)	3	0.8 (0.4–2.5)	3	0.3 (0.1–0.8)
Seasonal coronavirus, 181 (5.6)	6	6.7 (2.9–8.8)	114	8.1 (6.7–9.3)	17	3.5 (1.1–5.8)	11	2.9 (1.2–4.9)	33	3.8 (2.7–5.0)
Human metapneumovirus, 93 (2.9)	4	4.4 (2.4–11.9)	52	3.7 (2.6–5.0)	13	2.7 (1.0–4.2)	7	1.9 (1.2–3.2)	17	1.9 (0.9–3.2)
SARS-CoV-2, 77 (2.4)	2	2.2 (1.5–4.2)	29	2.1 (1.3–2.9)	9	1.9 (0.7–3.8)	8	2.1 (0.7–4.8)	29	3.3 (2.0–5.2)
Parainfluenza virus, 29 (0.9)	2	2.2 (1.0–8.5)	13	0.9 (0.5–1.3)	5	1.0 (0.3–2.5)	4	1.1 (0.6–3.3)	5	0.6 (0.2–1.3)
RSV,^† 23 (0.7)	1	1.1 (0.6–2.8)	11	0.8 (0.3–1.4)	5	1.0 (0.5–2.8)	4	1.1 (0.3–3.0)	2	0.2 (0.1–0.6)
Influenza A,^† 21 (0.6)	0	—	11	0.8 (0.4–1.2)	5	1.0 (0.4–2.5)	2	0.5 (0.2–1.1)	3	0.3 (0.1–0.7)
Influenza B, 2 (0.1)	0	—	0	—	1	0.2 (0.1–1.2)	0	—	1	0.1 (0.1–0.1)
Reported symptoms during previous 7 days, no.
Asymptomatic, 1,628	28	31.1 (18.0–41.6)	657	46.5 (42.0–51.2)	246	51.4 (37.8–57.2)	220	58.2 (46.9–65.4)	477	54.7 (49.0–60.7)
One or more symptoms, 765	37	41.1 (32.3–65.0)	343	24.3 (21.3–27.5)	111	23.2 (18.0–33.6)	53	14.0 (6.8–18.6)	221	25.3 (21.3–29.6)
Survey not completed, 839	25	27.8 (3.1–40.2)	413	29.2 (24.1–34.1)	122	25.5 (18.6–36.4)	105	27.8 (19.9–45.8)	174	20.0 (15.5–24.6)

Abbreviations: Pre-K = pre-Kindergarten; RSV = respiratory syncytial virus.
*Viral detections are not mutually exclusive.
^†RSV peak occurred during October–November 2022; influenza peak occurred during October–December 2022.