Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures in Austrian schools using agent-based simulations and cluster tracing data

Jana Lasser; Johannes Sorger; Lukas Richter; Stefan Thurner; Daniela Schmid; Peter Klimek

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28170-6

Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures in Austrian schools using agent-based simulations and cluster tracing data

Jana Lasser^*, Johannes Sorger, Lukas Richter, Stefan Thurner, Daniela Schmid, Peter Klimek^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science (7060)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We aim to identify those measures that effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austrian schools. Using cluster tracing data we calibrate an agent-based epidemiological model and consider situations where the B1.617.2 (delta) virus strain is dominant and parts of the population are vaccinated to quantify the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as room ventilation, reduction of class size, wearing of masks during lessons, vaccinations, and school entry testing by SARS-CoV2-antigen tests. In the data we find that 40% of all clusters involved no more than two cases, and 3% of the clusters only had more than 20 cases. The model shows that combinations of NPIs together with vaccinations are necessary to allow for a controlled opening of schools under sustained community transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. For plausible vaccination rates, primary (secondary) schools require a combination of at least two (three) of the above NPIs.

Original language	English
Article number	554
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28170-6
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

Keywords

Agent-based model
COVID-19
network
intervention measures
school

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy(all)
Chemistry(all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

Fields of Expertise

Information, Communication & Computing

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-022-28170-6Licence: CC BY 4.0

Cite this

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title = "Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures in Austrian schools using agent-based simulations and cluster tracing data",

abstract = "We aim to identify those measures that effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austrian schools. Using cluster tracing data we calibrate an agent-based epidemiological model and consider situations where the B1.617.2 (delta) virus strain is dominant and parts of the population are vaccinated to quantify the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as room ventilation, reduction of class size, wearing of masks during lessons, vaccinations, and school entry testing by SARS-CoV2-antigen tests. In the data we find that 40% of all clusters involved no more than two cases, and 3% of the clusters only had more than 20 cases. The model shows that combinations of NPIs together with vaccinations are necessary to allow for a controlled opening of schools under sustained community transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. For plausible vaccination rates, primary (secondary) schools require a combination of at least two (three) of the above NPIs.",

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AU - Richter, Lukas

AU - Thurner, Stefan

AU - Schmid, Daniela

AU - Klimek, Peter

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - We aim to identify those measures that effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Austrian schools. Using cluster tracing data we calibrate an agent-based epidemiological model and consider situations where the B1.617.2 (delta) virus strain is dominant and parts of the population are vaccinated to quantify the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as room ventilation, reduction of class size, wearing of masks during lessons, vaccinations, and school entry testing by SARS-CoV2-antigen tests. In the data we find that 40% of all clusters involved no more than two cases, and 3% of the clusters only had more than 20 cases. The model shows that combinations of NPIs together with vaccinations are necessary to allow for a controlled opening of schools under sustained community transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. For plausible vaccination rates, primary (secondary) schools require a combination of at least two (three) of the above NPIs.

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Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures in Austrian schools using agent-based simulations and cluster tracing data

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Fields of Expertise

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Calibrating school models to cluster tracing data

Open or closed? Agent-based Simulations of SARS-CoV-2 Prevention Measures in Austrian Schools

Open or close? Agent-based Simulations of SARS-CoV-2 Prevention Measures in Schools

Cite this

Assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures in Austrian schools using agent-based simulations and cluster tracing data

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Fields of Expertise

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Activities

Calibrating school models to cluster tracing data

Open or closed? Agent-based Simulations of SARS-CoV-2 Prevention Measures in Austrian Schools

Open or close? Agent-based Simulations of SARS-CoV-2 Prevention Measures in Schools

Cite this