| Title: |
Impact of school closures and reopening on COVID-19 caseload in 6 cities of Pakistan: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis. |
| Authors: |
Abdul Mueed, Taimoor Ahmad, Mujahid Abdullah, Faisal Sultan, Adnan Ahmad Khan |
| Source: |
PLOS Global Public Health, Vol 2, Iss 9, p e0000648 (2022) |
| Publisher Information: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2022. |
| Publication Year: |
2022 |
| Collection: |
LCC:Public aspects of medicine |
| Subject Terms: |
Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270 |
| More Details: |
Schools were closed all over Pakistan on November 26, 2020 to reduce community transmission of COVID-19 and reopened between January 18 and February 1, 2021. However, these closures were associated with significant economic and social costs, prompting a review of effectiveness of school closures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections in a developing country like Pakistan. A single-group interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) was used to measure the impact of school closures, as well as reopening schools, on daily new COVID-19 cases in 6 major cities across Pakistan: Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, and Muzaffarabad. However, any benefits were contingent on continued closure of schools, as cases bounced back once schools reopened. School closures are associated with a clear and statistically significant reduction in COVID-19 cases by 0.07 to 0.63 cases per 100,000 population, while reopening schools is associated with a statistically significant increase. Lahore is an exception to the effect of school closures, but it too saw an increase in COVID-19 cases after schools reopened in early 2021. We show that closing schools was a viable policy option, especially before vaccines became available. However, its social and economic costs must also be considered. |
| Document Type: |
article |
| File Description: |
electronic resource |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
2767-3375 |
| Relation: |
https://doaj.org/toc/2767-3375 |
| DOI: |
10.1371/journal.pgph.0000648 |
| Access URL: |
https://doaj.org/article/24da1087167148c5b156ccc235a5d6df |
| Accession Number: |
edsdoj.24da1087167148c5b156ccc235a5d6df |
| Database: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
