Unmasked, Unvaccinated Teacher Infected Half the Class — Despite Good Ventilation
The case highlights the best way to prevent transmission in schools: vaccination, masking, testing, and ventilation
On May 19, an unvaccinated elementary school teacher in Marin County, California, woke up with nasal congestion and fatigue. But figuring the symptoms were just allergies, the teacher went to school anyway. Over the next few days, more symptoms developed: cough, fever, and headache. Still, the teacher kept going to class. The teacher got a Covid test on May 21 but continued working while waiting for the result.
During class, the teacher read aloud to the class — without wearing a mask. The desks of the 24 students were all 6 feet apart, and the students — too young to be vaccinated — were expected to mask, as was everyone in the school. Windows on opposite sides of the classroom were left open, creating a cross-draft, and a HEPA filter sat at the front of the classroom, between the teacher’s desk and the classroom’s open door.
By the time the teacher received positive a test result on May 23, students in the class had already begun experiencing symptoms. The teacher’s series of irresponsible decisions — to not get vaccinated, to not wear a mask, to attend school with…
