More than 100,000 COVID cases reported in Indiana schools this year
Another week, another record of COVID-19 cases reported in Indiana's K-12 schools.
Schools reported 16,337 cases among students — up slightly from last week's figure that shattered the previous record for cases reported in a single week. They also reported more than 1,000 cases in both teachers and staff members for just the second time. There were 1,219 cases reported among teachers and 1,603 in other staff members.
Some of the cases reported Monday dated back several weeks, but more than 13,000 of the student cases were attributed to last week. It's another example of just how contagious omicron, the latest COVID-19 variant, has been.
Since students returned to class from winter break three weeks ago, nearly 40,000 of them have reported a positive case of COVID-19. With a little more than 1 million schoolchildren in the state, that means roughly 3.5% of K-12 students have tested positive for the illness since the new year.
While the latest pandemic peak appears to be receding across the state, the state's dashboard for cases in schools is updated weekly and reports information for the previous week. If schools follow the same peak at the state in general, they should report fewer cases in next week's update
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While omicron does appear to cause milder infections than some earlier variants, the rapid increase in cases is making it difficult for schools to stay open. At least five Marion County districts and several others in the Indianapolis metro area shifted one or more schools to virtual learning earlier this month due to staffing shortages.
So far this school year, there have been 100,624 cases reported in students — nearly 10% of Hoosier kids in K-12 schools. Also this year, teachers have reported 6,582 cases and other staff members have reported another 9,346 cases.
The figures are also likely an undercount of what has actually been happening in the state's schools over the last year-and-a-half.
While most schools reported to the state dashboard last year, it was not required and some never participated. The reporting is mandatory this year, but hundreds of schools have yet to comply. As of Monday's update, 402 schools have yet to report data to the state this school year.
The prior peak in cases for Hoosier students came in early September, at the height of the previous surge.
Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana schools report more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases this year
