Publications by authors named "Giovanna Panzera"
Importance: Wearing a face mask in school can reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission but it may also lead to increased hand-to-face contact, which in turn could increase infection risk through self-inoculation.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of wearing a face mask on hand-to-face contact by children while at school.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective randomized clinical trial randomized students from junior kindergarten to grade 12 at 2 schools in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during August 2020 in a 1:1 ratio to either a mask or control class during a 2-day school simulation.
Objectives: This study examined children's perspectives about returning to in-person school following lockdown due to the pandemic and about mask-wearing in class, as well as the mental health of children and parents during the pandemic.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was part of a 2-day school simulation exercise that randomized students to different masking recommendations. Parent-report of mental health and post-simulation child-report of COVID-19-related anxiety and mask-wearing were analyzed using descriptive and multiple regression analyses.
Impact of COVID-19 Public Health Protocols on Teachers Instructing Children and Adolescents During an In-Person Simulation.
J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry
May 2022
Objective: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health agencies and school boards across Canada enacted new protocols, including face masks, physical distancing and enhanced hygiene, to support the safe reopening of in-person school. This study explored the experiences and perceptions of teachers instructing children and adolescents in person during a two-day school simulation.
Method: This study was part of a large school simulation exercise conducted in Toronto, Ontario.