AUTHOR=Möckel Linus Fritz Felix , Pudasaini Samipa , Boldt Kira Louisa , Holert Fabian , Slagman Anna , Theuring Stefanie , Mockenhaupt Frank , Möckel Martin 

TITLE=SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies for a safe (post-)pandemic implementation of school music trips and their impact on participants’ health

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1422243

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1422243

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=IntroductionDuring the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) lockdowns, children repeatedly experienced social isolation. Dealing with the resulting post-pandemic health implications remains a challenge. The role of group recreational activities is crucial in promoting children’s health; however the implementation can encounter challenges, especially when infections such as COVID-19 are surging.ObjectivesIn this prospective observational study, we aimed to investigate whether safe cohorts can be created through appropriate test strategies to facilitate music trips during the COVID-19 waves. The primary outcome was the occurrence of positive cases during the journey. Secondarily, a survey was conducted to evaluate the physical and mental health status of participants before and after the first journey.MethodsTwo school music trips were conducted. The first trip (T1) took place from 4 January 2022 to 9 January 2022, and the second trip (T2) from 3 January 2023 to 8 January 2023. For T1, central laboratory SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) pool tests were performed before departure. For T2, prior point-of-care (PoC) PCR pool tests were conducted to validate the findings. A hygiene protocol was mandatory for T1 and recommended for T2.ResultsBefore T1, 95 volunteers underwent PCR laboratory pool testing, which revealed one positive COVID-19 case. During the travel, one student had a positive antigen test. Questionnaires for the mental health status were collected before T1 from 95 participants and again as a follow-up after T1 from 79 participants. There was a significant decrease in cold symptoms among students (p = 0.002). Following this, the perceived risk of infection significantly increased in the students’ group (p = 0.019). Additionally, anxiety symptoms [as measured using generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)-7 score] and the fear of getting infected marginally increased in students. All T1 participants indicated that they would be willing to attend a similar trip again. In the initial T2 pool testing, 88 participants took part. Two participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with one solely showing signs of a subsiding infection and the other being highly infectious, which led to the exclusion of the highly infectious participant from the travel. During the trip and the follow-up period, no further cases were reported.ConclusionBoth testing concepts effectively identified positive “SARS-CoV-2 cases in advance and prevented transmissions, enabling safe school music trips during the winter. The use of PoC-PCR may be superior in terms of time efficiency and flexibility. Despite the increase in the perceived fear of infection among children, the overall experience of the journey was positive.