Quoting a study done in elementary schools in a Georgia school district, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that teachers may have a vital role in the transmission of COVID-19 in schools. Mask use and social distancing measures were sometimes found to be lacking.

The study included around 2,600 students and 700 staff members from a school district’s elementary schools. There were nine clusters of COVID-19 cases that included 13 educators and 32 students at six elementary schools. The CDC report states that the students sat at a distance of less than 3 feet, and inadequate use of masks had a role to play in spread in some cases. Additionally, students ate their lunch in classrooms, which could also have led to an increase in transmission. The report stated that based on the findings, it appears that teachers can play a key role in in-school spread of COVID-19… (Reuters, February 22, 2021)