There have been only five COVID-19 outbreaks at San Francisco schools since the beginning of the school year and the return to in-person education, the San Francisco Department of Public Health told SFGATE.
In each outbreak, fewer than five students or staff were involved, and in every incident, cases were “either mild to moderate illness,” with none requiring hospitalization, SFDPH added.
It’s an incredible feat for San Francisco schools, which cater to thousands of students. The San Francisco Unified School District alone educates more than 57,000 students every year.
San Francisco hospitals paint a similarly optimistic picture. According to UCSF Medical Center, the largest hospital in the city, only 12 pediatric COVID patients were admitted to the hospital between June 14 and Sept. 14, a UCSF spokesperson said.
The positive news comes as school districts around the nation are seeing a troubling rise in COVID cases among students and staff. In Houston, for example, there were more than 800 active COVID infections among students and 104 among staff as of Sept. 24 (Houston Independent School District educates about 197,000 students a year). Texas does not have a statewide mask mandate for schools, though Houston does, nor does the state require staff members to be vaccinated against COVID. HISD did not immediately respond to a question about staff vaccination rates.
Why has San Francisco been so successful in preventing the spread of COVID in schools?
For one, San Francisco schools have mandated that students and staff wear masks during the school day. SFUSD has also required that all staff members be fully vaccinated or get tested. As of early September, 96% of staff who reported their vaccination status by the Aug. 31 deadline were vaccinated. And on Friday, the city announced its plans for vaccinating children ages 5 to 11 once the Federal Drug Administration gives Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization for children, which it is expected to do soon.
“In California there have been less outbreaks and definitely less pediatric cases,” said Dr. Naveena Bobba, the deputy director of health for SFDPH, providing one explanation for the small caseload at San Francisco schools.
In August, she continued, pediatric cases made up just 13% of COVID cases.
“Part of that I think is due to our great vaccination rates,” she said. “Because under-12s aren’t yet able to get vaccinated, [the key] is to ensure everyone around them is vaccinated.”
Currently, 81% of eligible San Franciscans are fully vaccinated, while 90% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the city are fully vaccinated, Bobba said.
“That really decreases school transmission,” she said of the high number of vaccinated teens.
Bobba also cited the state’s vaccine and testing mandate, which she said “offers a huge layer of protection,” as well as masking.
“All these layers of protection help reduce the risk,” she said. “It’s not ever going to be zero, and you will see some minor outbreaks, but we can contain it and we’re doing everything to decrease risk.”
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September 27, 2021 at 06:03PM
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SF schools have had no major COVID outbreaks. Here’s why. - SF Gate
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