Assessing Transmission Risks of SARS-COV-2 Omicron Variant In U.S. School Facilities and Mitigation Measures

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant raises concerns for school operations worldwide. The Omicron variant spread faster than other variants that cause COVID-19, and breakthrough infections are reported in vaccinated people. Schools are hotbeds for the transmission of the highly contagious virus. Therefore it is crucial to understand the risks of Omicron transmission and the effectiveness of different measures to prevent the surge of infection cases. This study estimates the risks of airborne transmission and fomite transmission of Omicron variants using simulations and the data of 11,485 public and private schools in the U.S. It also analyzes the impact of different mitigation measures on limiting airborne transmission and fomite transmission risks in schools. It was found that the Omicron variant caused relatively high infection risks in schools. The risk of airborne transmission is nine times higher than fomite transmission. The effective mitigation measures can significantly decrease the transmission risk.