Temperature screening and detection of Covid‐19 in school‐aged children: A retrospective cohort study assessing the efficacy of temperature screening in schools

• Published date: 01 December 2023
• Author: Courtney Rich,Laura Hanson,Luther Daniel,Amy Davis
• Date: 01 December 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.567

Received: 29 August 2022

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Revised: 9 February 2023

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Accepted: 10 February 2023

DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.567

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Temperature screening and detection

of Covid‐19 in school‐aged children:

A retrospective cohort study assessing the

efficacy of temperature screening in schools

Courtney Rich

1

|Laura Hanson

1

|Luther Daniel

2

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Amy Davis

1

1

Magnolia Regional Health Center

Emergency Medicine Residency, Corinth,

Mississippi, USA

2

Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine,

Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate,

Tennessee, USA

Correspondence

Courtney Rich, Magnolia Regional Health

Center, Emergency Medicine Residency,

3704 Hwy 72 West, Corinth, MS 38834, USA.

Email: crich@mrhc.org

Abstract

In July 2020, Corinth School District was the first in

Mississippi to return to the classroom setting. Corona-

virus disease 2019 (Covid‐19) protocols were developed

to maintain the safety of students. These included

mandatory masking, seating charts, desk spacing,

sanitizing protocols, lunch within classrooms, alteration

of extracurriculars, cancellation of assemblies, and

quarantine policies. Temperature screenings were

also performed. Students registering as febrile would

undergo Covid‐19 testing. To evaluate the efficacy of

temperature scanning as a surveillance method for

Covid‐19 in the school setting, deidentified data was

obtained from the Corinth School District. Overall

incidence and grade level incidence of Covid‐19 were

calculated in children attending school from July 27,

2020 to September 25, 2020. Data were examined for a

correlation between documented fevers and Covid‐19

positivity. Reports provided by the school district were

investigated for positive test groupings signifying a

school‐related outbreak. Of 28 children with fevers at

school, zero tested positive for Covid‐19. Twenty‐six

children tested positive for Covid‐19; none were febrile

at school. The incidence of Covid‐19 in our population

during the study period was 1.03%. Incidence in

elementary students was 0.34%, 0.93% in middle

school, and 2.51% in high school students. There were

no school outbreaks during the study period. Both

relative risk and odds ratio were calculated as equal to

zero (0.00). Temperature scanning is not a sensitive

screening method for Covid‐19 in school children.

World Med. & Health Policy. 2023;15:544–552.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/wmh3544

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