Tweet
Med J Aust
. 2024 Sep 19.
doi: 10.5694/mja2.52426. Online ahead of print. Lessons learnt from the first two SARS-CoV-2 Omicron waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in six remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland, Australia: a retrospective epidemiological review
Allison Hempenstall 1 2 , Barbara Telfer 3 , Sean Cowley 3 , Shalomie Shadrach 4 , Caroline Taunton 2 , Jay Short 5 , Nicolas Smoll 6 , Roy Rasalam 5 , Oscar Whitehead 7 , Peter Roach 8 , Karen Koko 9 , Josh Stafford 9 , Rittia Matysek 2 , Renarta Whitcombe 6 , Gulam Khandaker 6 , Jason King 8 , Nishila Moodley 5 , Maree Finney 5 , Rica Lacey 4 , Steven Donohue 5 , Richard Gair 7 , Katie Panaretto 3
Affiliations
Objective: To describe the preparedness for, epidemiological characteristics of and public health responses to the first and second waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in six remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland from late 2021.
Design: This was a descriptive epidemiological study. Data were collated by each participating public health unit. Case and outbreak characteristics were obtained from the statewide Notifiable Conditions System.
Setting, participants: Six discrete remote First Nations communities across Queensland were selected to represent a broad geographic spread across the state: Badu Island, Cherbourg, Lockhart River, Palm Island, Woorabinda and Yarrabah. People with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test result recorded between 13 December 2021 and 12 June 2022 who acquired the infection and isolated in one of the six communities.
Main outcome measures: COVID-19 vaccination coverage among First Nations people; number of COVID-19 cases reported; and attack rates for each community.
Results: All six First Nations communities led the COVID-19 preparedness and planning. COVID-19 vaccination coverage rates before the first outbreak ranged from 59% to 84% for the first dose and from 39% to 76% for the second dose across the six communities. During the study period, 2624 cases of COVID-19 in these communities were notified to Queensland Health. Attack rates for each community were: Badu Island, 23%; Cherbourg, 34%; Lockhart River, 18%; and Palm Island, Woorabinda and Yarrabah, 35% each. The 2624 cases included 52 cases (2%) involving hospital admission and two cases (< 1%) in which the person died from COVID-19.
Conclusions: It is likely that the co-designed, collaborative partnerships between local councils, community-controlled health services, state health services and public health units positively impacted the management and outcomes of COVID-19 in each of the six communities.
. 2024 Sep 19.
doi: 10.5694/mja2.52426. Online ahead of print. Lessons learnt from the first two SARS-CoV-2 Omicron waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in six remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland, Australia: a retrospective epidemiological review
Allison Hempenstall 1 2 , Barbara Telfer 3 , Sean Cowley 3 , Shalomie Shadrach 4 , Caroline Taunton 2 , Jay Short 5 , Nicolas Smoll 6 , Roy Rasalam 5 , Oscar Whitehead 7 , Peter Roach 8 , Karen Koko 9 , Josh Stafford 9 , Rittia Matysek 2 , Renarta Whitcombe 6 , Gulam Khandaker 6 , Jason King 8 , Nishila Moodley 5 , Maree Finney 5 , Rica Lacey 4 , Steven Donohue 5 , Richard Gair 7 , Katie Panaretto 3
Affiliations
- PMID: 39300747
- DOI: 10.5694/mja2.52426
Objective: To describe the preparedness for, epidemiological characteristics of and public health responses to the first and second waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in six remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland from late 2021.
Design: This was a descriptive epidemiological study. Data were collated by each participating public health unit. Case and outbreak characteristics were obtained from the statewide Notifiable Conditions System.
Setting, participants: Six discrete remote First Nations communities across Queensland were selected to represent a broad geographic spread across the state: Badu Island, Cherbourg, Lockhart River, Palm Island, Woorabinda and Yarrabah. People with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test result recorded between 13 December 2021 and 12 June 2022 who acquired the infection and isolated in one of the six communities.
Main outcome measures: COVID-19 vaccination coverage among First Nations people; number of COVID-19 cases reported; and attack rates for each community.
Results: All six First Nations communities led the COVID-19 preparedness and planning. COVID-19 vaccination coverage rates before the first outbreak ranged from 59% to 84% for the first dose and from 39% to 76% for the second dose across the six communities. During the study period, 2624 cases of COVID-19 in these communities were notified to Queensland Health. Attack rates for each community were: Badu Island, 23%; Cherbourg, 34%; Lockhart River, 18%; and Palm Island, Woorabinda and Yarrabah, 35% each. The 2624 cases included 52 cases (2%) involving hospital admission and two cases (< 1%) in which the person died from COVID-19.
Conclusions: It is likely that the co-designed, collaborative partnerships between local councils, community-controlled health services, state health services and public health units positively impacted the management and outcomes of COVID-19 in each of the six communities.