tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2021 May;27(5):1279-1287.
doi: 10.3201/eid2705.204142.
Successful Control of an Onboard COVID-19 Outbreak Using the Cruise Ship as a Quarantine Facility, Western Australia, Australia
Tudor A Codreanu, Sera Ngeh, Abigail Trewin, Paul K Armstrong
Abstract
Onboard quarantining has been only partially effective to control outbreaks of coronavirus disease on cruise ships. We describe the successful use of the ship as a quarantine facility during the response to the outbreak on the MS Artania, which docked in Western Australia, Australia. The health-led 14-day quarantine regime was based on established principles of outbreak management and experiences of coronavirus disease outbreaks on cruise ships elsewhere. The attack rate in the crew was 3.3% (28/832) before quarantine commencement and 4.8% (21/441) during quarantine on board. No crew members became symptomatic after completion of quarantine. Infection surveillance involved telephone correspondence, face-to-face visits, and testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. No serious health issues were reported, no response staff became infected, and only 1 quarantine breach occurred among crew. Onboard quarantine could offer financial and operational advantages in outbreak response and provide reassurance to the shore-based wider community regarding risk for infection.
Keywords: Australia; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Western Australia; coronavirus disease; cruise ships; disease outbreaks; quarantine; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.
. 2021 May;27(5):1279-1287.
doi: 10.3201/eid2705.204142.
Successful Control of an Onboard COVID-19 Outbreak Using the Cruise Ship as a Quarantine Facility, Western Australia, Australia
Tudor A Codreanu, Sera Ngeh, Abigail Trewin, Paul K Armstrong
- PMID: 33900170
- DOI: 10.3201/eid2705.204142
Abstract
Onboard quarantining has been only partially effective to control outbreaks of coronavirus disease on cruise ships. We describe the successful use of the ship as a quarantine facility during the response to the outbreak on the MS Artania, which docked in Western Australia, Australia. The health-led 14-day quarantine regime was based on established principles of outbreak management and experiences of coronavirus disease outbreaks on cruise ships elsewhere. The attack rate in the crew was 3.3% (28/832) before quarantine commencement and 4.8% (21/441) during quarantine on board. No crew members became symptomatic after completion of quarantine. Infection surveillance involved telephone correspondence, face-to-face visits, and testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. No serious health issues were reported, no response staff became infected, and only 1 quarantine breach occurred among crew. Onboard quarantine could offer financial and operational advantages in outbreak response and provide reassurance to the shore-based wider community regarding risk for infection.
Keywords: Australia; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Western Australia; coronavirus disease; cruise ships; disease outbreaks; quarantine; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.