{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T21:19:55Z","timestamp":1774300795512,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,21]],"date-time":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1640044800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Senate of Berlin","award":["n.a."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["n.a."]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>While SARS-CoV-2 infection activity in German kindergartens during the first year of the pandemic appeared to be overall low, outbreaks did occur. We retrospectively investigated an outbreak in November and December 2020 in a Berlin kindergarten participating in the Berlin Corona School and Kindergarten Study (BECOSS). Interviews were conducted with affected families regarding symptomatology, contact persons and possible sources of infection, as well as relevant information on the conditions on-site and infection prevention measures. A chronology of the outbreak was elaborated, and based on data on contacts and symptoms, we mapped the most likely chains of infection. Overall, 24 individuals, including ten educators, seven children, and seven household members, were infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a four-week time interval. Courses of infection ranged from asymptomatic to severe, with children less affected by symptoms. Viral spread within the facility seemed to occur mainly through kindergarten staff, while children primarily transmitted infections within their families. Interviewees reported that hygiene measures were not always adhered to inside the facility. To prevent outbreaks in kindergartens, especially in the light of current and newly emerging viral variants of concern, strict compliance to hygiene rules, staff vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2, and immediate reaction to suspected cases by quarantining and frequent testing seem reasonable measures.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19010036","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,21]],"date-time":"2021-12-21T09:50:43Z","timestamp":1640080243000},"page":"36","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["A Retrospective Outbreak Investigation of a COVID-19 Case Cluster in a Berlin Kindergarten, November 2020"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Sebastian","family":"Ruf","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2600-9367","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Franziska","family":"Hommes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Welmoed","family":"van Loon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1444-8976","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joachim","family":"Seybold","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Directorate, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7169-2620","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tobias","family":"Kurth","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Public Health, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4057-2199","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marcus A.","family":"Mall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8117-5421","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Frank P.","family":"Mockenhaupt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Stefanie","family":"Theuring","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charit\u00e9\u2014Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universit\u00e4t Berlin and Humboldt Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2001587","DOI":"10.2807\/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.36.2001587","article-title":"Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in children aged 0 to 19 years in childcare facilities and schools after their reopening in May 2020, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, Germany","volume":"25","author":"Ehrhardt","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eurosurveillance"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1319","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6937e3","article-title":"Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19 Outbreaks Associated with Child Care Facilities\u2014Salt Lake City, Utah, April-July 2020","volume":"69","author":"Lopez","year":"2020","journal-title":"MMWR Morb. 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