641 - School KIDS (Knowledge of Infectious Diseases in Schools): Epidemiology of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Respiratory Viruses in K-12 Schools

Poster Number: 641
Publication Number: 641.226

Jennifer Schuster, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States; Brian R. Lee, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, United States; Christopher Hsu, CDC, Decatur, GA, United States; Olivia M. Almendares, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Sadia Sleweon, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Hannah Kirking, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; Rangaraj Selvarangan, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, United States; Jennifer Goldman, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, United States

Background: Children spend one-third of their day in the school setting; however, limited data are available to understand the burden of respiratory viruses in K-12 schools. Asymptomatic surveillance for respiratory viruses, other than SARS-CoV-2, has not been widely performed in K-12 schools.

Objective: To determine respiratory viruses circulating in students and staff in K-12 schools

Design/Methods: School KIDS is a prospective respiratory virus surveillance project among students and staff in a large K-12 Missouri school district during the 2022-2023 school year. Testing includes both asymptomatic surveillance (AS) (sampled monthly) and symptomatic, on-demand (SO) groups. Testing was implemented in 8 schools (4 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high). Self-collected anterior nasal swabs were tested using multiplex viral PCR for coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, 229E, HKU1, NL63, OC43),adenovirus (AdV), human metapneumovirus, influenza (Flu), parainfluenza (PIV 1-4),rhinovirus/enterovirus (RV/EV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Results:

From October 31 – December 2, 2022, 234 participants enrolled in School KIDS. Participants included 88 staff and 146 students (89 elementary, 30 middle, and 27high school). Participants identified as White (191, 82%), Black (15, 6%), or Multiracial (17, 7%). Twenty-two (9%) identified as Hispanic/ Latino. Specimens from 86 AS and 52SO participants were obtained. Viruses were detected in 26% of AS and 44% of SO tests. The most frequent viruses detected from AS participants were RV/EV (9.3%), RSV (4.7%), AdV (3.5%), and Flu (3.5%) while the most frequent viruses detected from SO participants were Flu (15.4%), PIV (7.7%) and RV/EV (7.7%). Nasal congestion (75%), runny nose (69%), and cough (64%) were the most common symptoms reported by SO participants at time of testing.

Conclusion(s):

Viral detection in AS participants is high during the respiratory viral season. Conducting school-based surveillance is feasible and important to understand the burden and changes in respiratory viral epidemiologic patterns.