Evolution of the COVID-19 Pandemic after the Introduction of School Referral Nurses in the Province of Granada—A Descriptive Study
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Sánchez García, Juan Carlos; Marín Jiménez, Ana Eugenia; Tovar Gálvez, María Isabel; Cortés Martín, Jonathan; Montiel Troya, María; Rodríguez Blanque, RaquelEditorial
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Health behaviour Children COVID-19 Nursing scholar Prevention Schools
Date
2022-10-28Referencia bibliográfica
Sánchez-García, J.C... [et al.]. Evolution of the COVID-19 Pandemic after the Introduction of School Referral Nurses in the Province of Granada—A Descriptive Study. Children 2022, 9, 1646. [https://doi.org/10.3390/children9111646]
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Colegio Oficial de Enfermeria de Granada (CODEGRA)Abstract
The aim of this research is to describe the evolution of the pandemic in a school context,
following the introduction of school nurses into the educational setting. Background: The first wave
of COVID-19 in Spain prevented social interaction by imposing lockdowns on the population. All
non-essential activities, including face-to-face education, were interrupted, affecting the school-aged
population during the second and third trimester of the 2019/2020 school year. Schools are places
where prevention, identification and case management measures should be rapidly implemented.
Methods: This is a prospective and descriptive study using a quantitative method to study the
school population of Granada and its province during the school year 2020/2021, from September
2020 to May 2021. The study participants were all schools under the jurisdiction of the Territorial
Delegation of Education of Granada, whether public, private, state-subsidised or charter schools,
including all educational stages. Results: The confirmation rate in Granada city (11.2%), in contrast
to the Andalusian average (6.9%), places Granada as the province with the highest incidence rate.
The infection rates among teachers show the same confirmation rate as the general population of
Granada (9%); however, among students this rate is lower (7%). There is a higher incidence of
outbreaks taking place outside school and a lower incidence of outbreaks occurring within the
school environment. Both partial and total outbreaks are more frequent in early childhood education.
Conclusion: The early identification and management of reported suspected cases of COVID-19
in schools is proving effective in preventing infection in the school population, achieving good
pandemic control in schools, and reducing the number of outbreaks and people affected. Schools
have been confirmed to be safe. Establishing screening for asymptomatic schoolchildren could be a
tool to improve control in schools.