Top 5 Takeaways

1. Surge in Pediatric COVID-19 Cases: During the 2021–22 school year, New York reported a total of 702,686 COVID-19 cases among children aged 5–17, with a significant increase driven by the Omicron variant transmission.
2. Expansion of At-Home Testing: In response to the Omicron surge, state and federal authorities increased access to self-administered, at-home rapid antigen tests, distributing millions to schools for use by students, teachers, and staff.
3. Comparison of Reporting Systems: The study compared COVID-19 case data from two New York State Department of Health systems: laboratory-reported data and a K–12 school-based system, finding an overall ratio of school-reported to laboratory-reported cases of 1.03.
4. Increased Ratio of School to Laboratory-Reported Cases: From January to April 2022, following the expansion of at-home testing, the ratio of school-reported to laboratory-reported cases increased by 167%, suggesting underreporting in laboratory data.
5. Implications for Public Health Reporting: The findings highlight the need for methods to capture data from self-administered, at-home tests to provide a more comprehensive view of COVID-19 incidence in communities and guide public health decisions.

Original Article Author and Citation

Corresponding Author

Travis T. O’Donnell, travis.odonnell@health.ny.gov.

Suggested Citation

Shircliff EJ, Rosenberg ES, Collens LM, et al. Notes from the Field: School-Based and Laboratory-Based Reporting of Positive COVID-19 Test Results Among School-Aged Children — New York, September 11, 2021–April 29, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:1029–1031. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7132a2 .

Summary

This article discusses the impact of the Omicron variant-driven surge in pediatric COVID-19 cases during the 2021–22 school year in New York and the expansion of at-home testing. It compares data from laboratory-reported and school-based reporting systems, highlighting the significant increase in the ratio of school-reported to laboratory-reported cases following the expansion of at-home testing.

Methods

The study analyzed COVID-19 case data for children aged 5–17 years from two New York State Department of Health systems: one based on laboratory reports and the other on reports from K–12 schools. It calculated weekly ratios of school-reported to laboratory-reported cases from September 11, 2021, to April 29, 2022.

Discussion

The increase in the ratio of school-reported to laboratory-reported cases suggests a decline in the capture of positive laboratory test result data, emphasizing the need for comprehensive data capture methods, including those from self-administered tests.

Conclusion

The findings underscore the importance of augmenting laboratory-reported data with results from at-home tests to ensure a complete picture of the pandemic’s impact, aiding in public health decision-making and risk communication.

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