How effective are measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection in schools and thus enable schools to continue operating? A recent Cochrane Rapid Review explores this question. 

The measures included: 1) reducing opportunities for contact, 2) making contacts safer, 3) surveillance, and 4) combinations of measures. 

The authors found evidence for effectiveness for all four categories of measures, but individual studies also reported mixed or no effects. Overall, the combination of a broad range of measures has the greatest chance of enabling schools to reopen or remain in operation, while at the same time keeping the risk of transmission low, says co-author Lisa Pfadenhauer. 

Since 33 of the 38 included studies were modelling studies, the significance of the evaluated results is limited, however.

The review includes an interview with co-author Pfadenhauer (in German), a Cochrane Clinical Answers article and the full text in English here.