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Missouri schools to be involved in COVID-19 mitigation study

Coronavirus COVID-19
Posted at 5:01 PM, Nov 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-25 18:01:02-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Students in Missouri schools could be part of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study on the novel coronavirus.

A spokesperson with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed to 41 Action News that the department is working with the CDC and Washington University to “understand the impact of our mitigation strategies in school transmissions.”

When a COVID-19 case is confirmed in a participating school, contact tracing will occur and those identified will be monitored for symptoms of the virus and offered testing “at various time points to detect asymptomatic cases,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier this month, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced a change in who is considered a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Those who were wearing a mask properly now are able to continue attending class in-person if they don’t have any COVID-19 symptoms.

Schools still are being recruited to participate in the study.