Table 1.
Summary of cases and size of outbreaks reported to Public Health England (PHE) during the first half of the autumn term (31 August to 18 October 2020) in England.
| School type |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary n (% in primary schools) | Secondary n (% in secondary schools) | Both settings n (%) | P value (primary vs secondary schools)* | |
| Total number of schools | 100 | 79 | 179 | |
| Total cases (% of cases across both settings) | 799 | 1515 | 2314 | |
| Student cases | 328 (41%) | 1105 (73%) | 1433 (62%) | P <0.001 |
| Staff cases | 471 (59%) | 410 (27%) | 881 (38%) | |
| Median (IQR) number of cases per outbreak | 6 (4–10) | 15 (8–28) | 9 (5–16) | P<0.001 |
| Mode number of cases per outbreak | 3 | 6 | 6 | |
| Total numbers of cases per outbreak | 2–35 | 2–100 | 2–100 | |
| Index case in the outbreak | ||||
| Teaching staff | 48 (48%) | 25 (32%) | 73 (41%) | P = 0.012 |
| Student | 35 (35%) | 47 (59%) | 82 (46%) | |
| Non-teaching staff | 9 (9%) | 6 (8%) | 15 (8%) | |
| Another source | 1 (1%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Not reported | 7 (7%) | 1 (1%) | 8 (4%) | |
| Groups affected by the outbreak | n (%) | n (%) | % | |
| Staff only | 6 (6%) | 1 (1%) | 7 (4%) | P<0.001 |
| 1 year group only | 39 (39%) | 5 (6%) | 44 (25%) | |
| 2 year groups | 30 (30%) | 7 (9%) | 37 (21%) | |
| 3 or more year groups | 25 (25%) | 66 (84%) | 91 (51%) | |
⁎
Proportions were compared using chi squared or Fishers Exact Test, medians with interquartile ranges were compared using the Mann-Whitney U Test.