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Screening around a COVID-19 cluster: Exploring its impact on a local virus outbreak
Gaëlle Gault1, Olivier Monpierre2, Gaetane Carion3
1Santé publique France (SpFrance), French national public health agency, Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional office, Bordeaux, France.
Objective:
In March 2020, we implemented screening of the contacts of a COVID-19 cluster having occurred in the Lot-et-Garonne department, the first department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region to be affected by the active circulation of SARS-CoV-2. We aimed to describe the impact of this screening on the local SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.
Methods:
All high-risk contacts, as well as the individuals living in their households, were screened. We detailed the evolution of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Lot-et-Garonne department and the rest of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
Results:
Among the 89 screened individuals, 10 new cases were confirmed, including 4 asymptomatic persons. In Lot-et-Garonne, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases immediately decreased after this screening and no epidemic peak occurred, contrary to what was observed in the rest of the region.
Conclusion:
The early screening of high-risk contacts of COVID-19 cases and members of their household implemented a few days before the first lockdown probably helped to prevent the spread of the virus in the department.
