Amanda Wilson, PhD

The burden of respiratory viral diseases (flu, RSV, COVID-19) is on the rise in the U.S., posing risks for children with asthma (affecting one out of 12). School health personnel are often the advocates for mitigating the spread of these diseases in classrooms. However, our preliminary data indicate they need more support in developing and interpreting guidance on mitigating transmission in classrooms. Our goal is to create a risk calculator tool for school health personnel to support real-time and inexpensive decision-making regarding interventions to reduce virus spread. We plan to test this tool, use real-world data to inform it, and prepare to conduct a larger future study to make these tools accessible and applicable to schools across the U.S.

Update:

A risk calculator tool prototype has been developed, and the research team will start conducting focus groups with school health professionals during summer 2024 to improve the usability and design of the tool. Currently, the research team is surveying private and public schools in Arizona to inform risk tool parameters and characterize barriers and strategies to addressing flu season and respiratory viral outbreaks in elementary schools.