Transdisciplinary Epidemiology in Schools: Integrating Molecular Environmental and Social Surveillance Through Community Science
Molnar, O.; Schedl, A.; Giulini, D.; Odor, G.; Fragner, T.; Thornton, M.; Garber-Pawlik, K.; Gschmeidler, B.; Prieler, S.; Girschick, B.; Kunnert, V.; Schmidt, B.; Hackl, D.; Golos, A.; Scharf, F.; Bach, N.; Raith, H.; Stuebegger, A.; Trenker, M.; Schiefer, J.; Dascalescu, V.; Osaid, W. A.; Margioulas, C.; Marizzi, C.; Amman, F.; Grabovac, I.; Bergthaler, A.
Show abstract
Respiratory virus surveillance is often constrained by symptomatic testing and centralized sampling, producing blind spots in populations at risk. We developed a transdisciplinary community science framework in which students and teachers co-designed and implemented decentralized respiratory surveillance integrating environmental, molecular, and social data in schools. Within this participatory setting, indoor air COLJ concentrations were monitored alongside student-collected air filter and surface samples, analyzed by digital PCR and sequencing. Community-generated samples reliably captured circulating viruses, while COLJ measurements revealed associations between indoor air quality and pathogen abundance. Quantitative surveys identified social and structural barriers to preventive measures, and shared ownership of study design fostered sustained engagement. By embedding epidemiology within a co-developed, community-driven research process, this study demonstrates how scalable surveillance can close critical data gaps. Our work provides a blueprint for decentralized, community-engaged infectious disease monitoring that positions local partners as active contributors to public health intelligence.
Matching journals
The top 6 journals account for 50% of the predicted probability mass.
Similar papers in this journal
- Characterizing Spatial Epidemiology in a Heterogeneous Transmission Landscape Using a Novel Spatial Transmission Count Statistic 92%
- Comparative analyses of all FDA EUA-approved rapid antigen tests and RT-PCR for COVID-19 quarantine and surveillance-based isolation 92%
- Adherence and sustainability of interventions informing optimal control against COVID-19 pandemic 91%
Similar papers in this journal
- Environmental DNA from archived leaves reveals widespread temporal turnover and biotic homogenization in forest arthropod communities 92%
- Mechanistic theory predicts the effects of temperature and humidity on inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and other enveloped viruses 91%
- Lowland plant arrival in alpine ecosystems facilitates a decrease in soil carbon content under experimental climate warming 91%
"Similar papers" are the closest papers from that journal in the model's embedding space. They show what the match is built on, but the ranking comes mostly from a classifier over the whole training set, not from these examples alone.