ObjectiveTo understand the school absence due to illnesses in the context of emergency response to COVID-19 in Minhang District， so as to provide a basis for epidemic prevention and control in primary and secondary schools.

MethodsDescriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the data of school absence due to illnesses in primary and secondary schools in Minhang District in the context of emergency response to COVID-19.

ResultsDuring the period of emergency response to COVID-19， the incidence of illness-induced absenteeism in Minhang District was 1.50%. Difference in absenteeism between different months was statistically significant （χ²=1 724.31， P<0.01）. The monthly absenteeism rate in 2020 was higher than that from 2016 to 2019， and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.01）. The rate of symptom-induced absenteeism was 1.28%. Fever was the most common symptom of school absence， and the rate of absence due to fever in 2020 was higher than that of the same period in 2019 and 2016-2018， and the difference was statistically significant （χ²=15 281.33， P<0.01）. Acute upper respiratory tract infection was the number one cause of illness-induced absence during the emergency response period， while infectious diseases were the primary causes of diseases from 2016 to 2018 and in 2019. The difference of infectious disease absence in different years was statistically significant （χ²=1 822.62， P<0.01）.

ConclusionThe rate of school absence due to illnesses increased significantly in the context of emergency response to COVID-19 in Minhang District， while the rate of school absence due to infectious diseases decreased significantly. The prevention and control measures during the epidemic period can be used for reference in the future for preventing infectious diseases under normal conditions.