COVID-19 outbreaks on ships: Analysis of three representative cases
Wangzheqi Zhang1, Jianyi Xie1, Na Gong1
1Basic Medical University, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Insights
Effective COVID-19 prevention on ships requires timely detection, reduced exposure, and robust response mechanisms. This includes managing asymptomatic cases and ensuring stakeholder cooperation for better control of infectious diseases at sea.
Area of Science:
- Maritime Health
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks posed significant challenges on various types of vessels during the global pandemic.
- Understanding the management and outcomes of these maritime outbreaks is crucial for future prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the management and outcomes of COVID-19 outbreaks on ships.
- To identify key elements for improving infection prevention and control on maritime vessels.
Main Methods:
- A non-systematic narrative review of relevant literature.
- Searched PubMed and Embase databases for studies on COVID-19 outbreaks on ships.
- Selected three representative cases for detailed analysis of outbreak response measures.
Main Results:
- Examined outbreak timelines, infection situations, and response measures including isolation, detection, and treatment.
- Detailed analysis of prevention and control strategies implemented during the selected outbreaks.
Conclusions:
- Timely detection, intervention, and exposure reduction are critical for effective COVID-19 control on ships.
- Managing asymptomatic infections, patient transport, and stakeholder communication are vital components of maritime infectious disease response.
- Establishing comprehensive short-term and long-term response mechanisms enhances overall prevention and control efficiency.
Objectives:
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks occurred on ships during the global pandemic of COVID-19. Investigation of the management and outcomes of these outbreaks will help guide future prevention and control strategies for respiratory infectious diseases on ships.
Study Design:
Non-systematic narrative review.
Methods:
PubMed and Embase databases were searched using the keywords "ship", "cargo ship", "fishing boat", "cruise ship", "yacht", "merchant ship", "port", "SARS-COV-2" and "COVID-19", connected by "OR" internally and "AND" between two keywords. After review of the titles and abstracts, and exclusion of irrelevant articles, the infection situation and details of the response measures were recorded. Cases were subsequently selected for this study based on the detailed information and records available on the COVID-19 outbreak prevention and control measures and experiences.
Results:
Three representative cases were selected; the outbreak timeline and infection situation for these cases were summarised. Infection prevention and control measures and experiences for the three outbreaks were investigated in detail, including analysis of epidemic reports, and isolation, detection, screening, treatment and transportation procedures.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates that timely detection and intervention, exposure reduction, control of asymptomatic infections, treatment and transport of patients, preparation for prevention and control in advance, the communication and cooperation of various stakeholders, and the establishment of short-term and long-term response mechanisms are key elements to improve the efficiency of infection prevention and control on ships.
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