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Résumé Objectifs La présente étude s’est penchée sur le point de vue des enfants relativement au retour en classe après le confinement imposé par la pandémie, sur le port du masque en classe et sur la santé mentale des enfants et des parents pendant la pandémie. Méthodologie La présente étude transversale a fait partie d’un exercice de simulation scolaire de deux jours au cours duquel les élèves ont été répartis au hasard entre diverses recommandations sur le port du masque. Au moyen d’analyses régression multiple, les chercheurs ont analysé le compte rendu des parents sur la santé mentale et, après la simulation, celui des élèves sur l’anxiété liée à la COVID-19 et le port du masque. Les élèves plus âgés ont participé à des groupes de travail semi-structurés pour compléter les données du questionnaire. Résultats Sur les 190 élèves de la présente étude, 31 % ne dépassaient pas la quatrième année et 95 % avaient hâte de rentrer en classe. La plus grande anxiété des parents ou des proches (β= 0,67; p Conclusions Chez les enfants anxieux à cause de la COVID-19, l’anxiété des parents et l’information sur la COVID-19 pourraient être des cibles d’intervention. De futures recherches devraient porter sur les effets de la mise en œuvre prolongée de mesures sanitaires d’atténuation des risques sur la réussite scolaire et la santé mentale des enfants.

Objectives This study examined children’s perspectives about returning to in-person school following lockdown due to the pandemic and about mask-wearing in class, as well as the mental health of children and parents during the pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study was part of a 2-day school simulation exercise that randomized students to different masking recommendations. Parent-report of mental health and post-simulation child-report of COVID-19-related anxiety and mask-wearing were analyzed using descriptive and multiple regression analyses. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with older students to supplement questionnaire data. Results Of 190 students in this study, 31% were in grade 4 or lower 95% looked forward to returning to in-person school. Greater child anxiety about COVID-19 was predicted by increased parent/caregiver anxiety (β=0.67; P Conclusions For children anxious about COVID-19, parental anxiety and education about COVID-19 may be targets for intervention. Future research should examine the impact of prolonged implementation of public health mitigation strategies in school on academic achievement and children’s mental health.

ImportanceWearing a face mask in school can reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission but it may also lead to increased hand-to-face contact, which in turn could increase infection risk through self-inoculation.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of wearing a face mask on hand-to-face contact by children while at school.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis prospective randomized clinical trial randomized students from junior kindergarten to grade 12 at 2 schools in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during August 2020 in a 1:1 ratio to either a mask or control class during a 2-day school simulation. Classes were video recorded from 4 angles to accurately capture outcomes.InterventionsParticipants in the mask arm were instructed to bring their own mask and wear it at all times. Students assigned to control classes were not required to mask at any time (grade 4 and lower) or in the classroom where physical distancing could be maintained (grade 5 and up).Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was the number of hand-to-face contacts per student per hour on day 2 of the simulation. Secondary outcomes included hand-to-mucosa contacts and hand-to-nonmucosa contacts. A mixed Poisson regression model was used to derive rate ratios (RRs), adjusted for age and sex with a random intercept for class with bootstrapped 95% CIs.ResultsA total of 174 students underwent randomization and 171 students (mask group, 50.6% male; control group, 52.4% male) attended school on day 2. The rate of hand-to-face contacts did not differ significantly between the mask and the control groups (88.2 vs 88.7 events per student per hour; RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.78-1.28; P = >.99). When compared with the control group, the rate of hand-to-mucosa contacts was significantly lower in the mask group (RR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.07-0.21), while the rate of hand-to-nonmucosa contacts was higher (RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.08-1.82).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this clinical trial of simulated school attendance, hand-to-face contacts did not differ among students required to wear face masks vs students not required to wear face masks; however, hand-to-mucosa contracts were lower in the face mask group. This suggests that mask wearing is unlikely to increase infection risk through self-inoculation.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04531254

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health agencies and school boards across Canada enacted new protocols, including face masks, physical distancing and enhanced hygiene, to support the safe reopening of in-person school. This study explored the experiences and perceptions of teachers instructing children and adolescents in person during a two-day school simulation.This study was part of a large school simulation exercise conducted in Toronto, Ontario. Kindergarten to grade 12 teachers taught in classrooms with either masked students, or students who were un-masked or only masked when physical distancing was not possible. A qualitative descriptive phenomenology approach was utilized, and data were collected via virtual focus groups. Qualitative data analysis involved multiple rounds of inductive coding to generate themes.The sample included 14 teachers (92.9% female; 85.7% White), with a median of 9.5 years teaching experience. Three primary themes emerged: 1)As schools transition to in-person instruction, teachers will be required to play dual roles in education and public health, with implications on safety, teaching and professional identity. Public health agencies and school boards are encouraged to engage teachers in ongoing conversations regarding in-person school planning and operations. Furthermore, evidence-based interventions, including increased teaching development programs, are recommended to support teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conséquemment à la pandémie de la COVID-19, les organismes de santé publique et les conseils scolaires de tout le Canada ont mis en œuvre de nouveaux protocoles, notamment des masques, une distanciation physique et une hygiène accrue, afin de soutenir la réouverture prudente de l’école en personne. La présente étude a exploré les expériences et les perceptions des professeurs instruisant les enfants et les adolescents en personne durant une simulation scolaire de deux jours.La présente étude faisait partie d’un grand exercice de simulation scolaire mené à Toronto, Ontario. Les professeurs de la maternelle à la 12L’échantillon comportait 14 professeurs (92,9 % de sexe féminin; 85,7 % Blancs), avec une moyenne de 9,5 années d’expérience d’enseignement. Trois principaux thèmes ont émergé : 1)Tandis que les écoles font la transition à l’enseignement en personne, les professeurs devront assumer des doubles rôles en éducation et en santé publique, impliquant la sécurité, l’enseignement et l’identité professionnelle. Les organismes de santé publique et les conseils scolaires sont invités à faire participer les professeurs à des conversations actuelles relativement à la planification et aux activités de l’école en personne. En outre, les interventions fondées sur des données probantes, notamment les programmes accrus de développement de l’enseignement, sont recommandées pour soutenir les professeurs durant la pandémie de la COVID-19.

Although numerous reports have compared the antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp., controversy still exists about the use of the E test as an alternative to the agar dilution method suggested by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. MICs of 8 antimicrobials were determined using the E test and agar dilution methods for 103 Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from fresh chicken randomly purchased from stores in 3 southern Ontario counties. Overall, 72.6% of E test MIC values were within 1 log(2) dilution and 95.7% within 2 log(2) dilutions of the corresponding agar dilution MICs. For individual antimicrobials, agreement within 1 log(2) dilution and 2 log(2) dilutions was as follows: ampicillin (n = 103), 90.3% and 98.1%, respectively; chloramphenicol (n = 104), 85.6% and 99%; ciprofloxacin (n = 99), 51.5% and 97.0%; clindamycin (n = 99), 26.3% and 78.8%; erythromycin (n = 99), 52.5% and 96.0%; gentamicin (n = 99), 100% and 100%; nalidixic acid (n = 98), 91.8% and 99.0%; and tetracycline (n = 86), 82.6% and 97.7%. Relative to agar dilution, the E test underestimated the MIC value by a mean of 0.74 (ampicillin), 0.82 (chloramphenicol), 1.44 (ciprofloxacin), 1.94 (clindamycin), 1.40 (erythromycin), 0.21 (gentamicin), 0.94 (nalidixic acid), and 0.20 (tetracycline) log(2) dilutions and by a median of 1 log(2) dilution for all antimicrobials except clindamycin (2), gentamicin (0), and tetracycline (0). Cost analysis, including materials and labor, showed a 39.0% higher cost per analyte for the agar dilution method as compared with the E test. The most relevant advantage of the E test over the agar dilution method is the turnaround time because testing 99 strains by the agar dilution method takes 3.6 times longer compared with the E test using the same number of strains. The E test is an acceptable alternative for antimicrobial susceptibility testing in Campylobacter because it corresponds well with the agar dilution method although being considerably less expensive, is less labor intensive, and is more rapid. However, the relationship between E test and agar dilution MICs must be considered when interpreting E test results.