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Table 4 School closure policy recommendations

From: Developing guidelines for school closure interventions to be used during a future influenza pandemic

  

Pandemic transmissibility

Pandemic severity

School closure duration

low (R0 = 1.5)

medium (R0 = 2.0)

high (R0 = 2.5)

mild

2 weeks

Schools should be closed individually when cases are identified in each school; this policy should delayed until the first day on which 13 new cases per 10,000 population are diagnosed (assuming 50% diagnosis of symptomatic individuals).

moderate

4 weeks

Schools should be closed individually when cases are identified in each school; this policy should be instituted as soon as possible once the pandemic has reached the community. Antivirals should be dispensed to slow the spread.

severe

8 weeks

Schools should be closed individually when cases are identified in each school; this policy should delayed until the first day on which 6 new cases per 10,000 populationare diagnosed (assuming 50% diagnosis rate). However, if the activation trigger is missed all schools should close as soon as possible. Antivirals should be dispensed together with school closure and home isolation.

All schools should close simultaneously as soon as possible once the pandemic reaches the community. Antivirals and other non-pharmaceutical interventions should also be applied.

All schools should close simultaneously as soon as possible once the pandemic reaches the community Antivirals should be dispensed in larger extent to slow down disease spread. Other social distancing based interventions should be rigorously applied.