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Published on: April 9, 2021
COVID-19 transmission in group living environments and households
Tetsuya Akaishi1,2, Shigeki Kushimoto3, Yukio Katori4
1Department of Education and Support for Regional Medicine, Tohoku University Hospital, Seiryo-machi 1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8574, Japan. t-akaishi@med.tohoku.ac.jp.
Insights
Group living environments significantly increase COVID-19 transmission risk. Implementing infection control measures and quarantining infected individuals effectively reduces secondary transmission in these settings.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, remains a major global health challenge.
- Understanding transmission dynamics in group living settings is crucial for effective control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the transmission risks of COVID-19 in various group living environments.
- To identify factors influencing transmission within dormitories and households.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 4550 individuals with recent contact to COVID-19 patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA via nasopharyngeal swabs.
- Data collected between July 2020 and May 2021, assessing contact types (close/lower-risk) and locations (dormitory/home/outside).
Main Results:
- The highest test-positive rate was observed in individuals with dormitory contact (27.5%).
- Household transmission rate (12.6%) was comparable to close contact outside residences (11.3%) and significant for non-adults.
- Dormitory transmission varied based on infrastructure, lifestyle, and infection control measures; appropriate measures suppressed risk.
Conclusions:
- Group living environments represent a significant risk factor for secondary COVID-19 transmission.
- Effective infection control measures and quarantine protocols are vital for mitigating transmission in group settings.
Abstract:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently the world's largest public health concern. This study evaluated COVID-19 transmission risks in people in group living environments. A total of 4550 individuals with a history of recent contact with patients at different places (dormitory/home/outside the residences) and levels (close/lower-risk) were tested for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA using a nasopharyngeal swab test between July 2020 and May 2021. The test-positive rate was highest in individuals who had contact in dormitories (27.5%), but the rates were largely different between dormitories with different infrastructural or lifestyle features and infection control measures among residents. With appropriate infection control measures, the secondary transmission risk in dormitories was adequately suppressed. The household transmission rate (12.6%) was as high as that of close contact outside the residences (11.3%) and accounted for > 60% of the current rate of COVID-19 transmission among non-adults. Household transmission rates synchronized to local epidemics with changed local capacity of quarantining infectious patients. In conclusion, a group living environment is a significant risk factor of secondary transmission. Appropriate infection control measures and quarantine of infectious residents will decrease the risk of secondary transmission in group living environments.
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