New research will test whether 5,000 school staff and pupils have active or past Covid-19 infection, to help schools prevent and cope with outbreaks of the virus.
The £2.7 million COVID-19 Mapping and Mitigation in Schools project will test whether staff and pupils in primary and secondary schools have or had the coronavirus over a six month period.
The project will also look at wastewater from school drains to monitor the amount of the virus present to see if this can provide an early warning of changes in infection levels.
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A separate study by Imperial College London has also been announced that will look at how quickly and efficiently coronavirus might be spread by schoolchildren, both within the school community and in households.
The Covid mapping research is being led by University of Bristol, which will work with local schools and the city council and Public Health England.
The university said that limiting transmission of coronavirus in schools is challenging because children with Covid-19 often show no obvious symptoms and schoolchildren normally interact with a large number of other children and adults.
Caroline Relton, professor of epigenetic epidemiology at the Bristol Medical School said: “It’s important we increase our understanding of infection patterns in schoolchildren, so schools can keep managing their operation as effectively as possible.
“This study proposes to combine measures of current and previous coronavirus infection as well as working with schools to enhance approaches to prevent and control infection as and when it does arise.”
The university has said that researchers will also explore the mental wellbeing of pupils and staff as they re-adjust to school life, and examine school approaches “to ensure good mental wellbeing of pupils both as they return to school but also to mitigate future issues that might arise.”
Elisabeth Gilpin, headteacher of St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, one of the Bristol schools taking part in the research project, added: “Being part of this project will help in the safe return of our pupils, many of whom have been learning from home since the beginning of lockdown.
“I am really excited to be involved in the design of a project that will be genuinely helpful to my school, other schools and the government in helping ensure that students and staff can be as safe as possible in school.
“It gives us another tool that will help us re-build safe boundaries, restore relationships and renew our learning as we have the pleasure of welcoming back all our wonderful young people onto our school site. I feel fortunate we have been asked to take part.”
The research has been funded by the NIHR (National Institute for Health Research and the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) as part of the Covid-19 rapid response initiative.
This wider £5m programme also includes professor Shiranee Sriskandan of Imperial College London leading research investigating how quickly and efficiently coronavirus might be spread by school pupils.
