tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Environ Res Public Health
. 2021 Mar 11;18(6):2878.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18062878.
Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 during an Outbreak in a Roma Community in Thessaly, Greece-Control Measures and Lessons Learned
Michalis Koureas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Matthaios Speletas[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zacharoula Bogogiannidou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dimitris Babalis[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Vassilios Pinakas[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ourania Pinaka[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Apostolos Komnos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stella Tsoutsa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Georgia Papadamou[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maria A Kyritsi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexandros Vontas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vasileios Nakoulas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Spyros Sapoynas[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Nikolaos Kanellopoulos[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Dimitrios Kalompatsios[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vassiliki Papadouli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Katerina Dadouli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Soteris Soteriades[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paraskevi Mina[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Varvara A Mouchtouri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lemonia Anagnostopoulos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kostantinos E Stamoulis[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Kostantinos Agorastos[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Efthimia A Petinaki[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Panagiotis Prezerakos[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Sotirios Tsiodras[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Christos Hadjichristodoulou[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
A COVID-19 outbreak occurred among residents of a Roma settlement in Greece (8 April-4 June 2020). The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with an increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and to evaluate the effectiveness of control measures implemented. Data were analyzed from individuals that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 during contact tracing, population screening or hospital visits. RT-PCR was used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in oropharyngeal samples. Risk factors for household secondary attack rates (SAR) and hospitalization with COVID-19 were examined using chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression analyses. During the outbreak, 142 cases, 20 hospitalizations and 1 death were recorded, with a total of 2273 individuals tested. The risk of hospitalization was associated with age (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07) and Cycle threshold (Ct) values (OR for a decrease in Ct values by 1: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.31). Household SAR was estimated at 38.62% (95% CI: 32.50-45.01%). After the designation of an isolation facility for cases, household SAR declined from 74.42% to 31.03%. Household size was associated with the risk of infection (OR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.00-7.07). The presence of COVID-19 symptoms among index cases was correlated with higher transmission (OR: 23.68, 95% CI 2.21-253.74) in multivariate analysis, while age was found to be associated with SAR only in univariate analysis. Roma communities can be particularly vulnerable to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In similar settings, symptomatic cases are more important transmitters of SARS-CoV-2. Within these communities, immediate measures should be implemented to mitigate disease spread.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; asymptomatic transmission; control measures; household transmission; vulnerable populations.
. 2021 Mar 11;18(6):2878.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18062878.
Transmission Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 during an Outbreak in a Roma Community in Thessaly, Greece-Control Measures and Lessons Learned
Michalis Koureas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Matthaios Speletas[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zacharoula Bogogiannidou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dimitris Babalis[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Vassilios Pinakas[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ourania Pinaka[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Apostolos Komnos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stella Tsoutsa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Georgia Papadamou[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Maria A Kyritsi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexandros Vontas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vasileios Nakoulas[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Spyros Sapoynas[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Nikolaos Kanellopoulos[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Dimitrios Kalompatsios[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vassiliki Papadouli[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Katerina Dadouli[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Soteris Soteriades[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Paraskevi Mina[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Varvara A Mouchtouri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lemonia Anagnostopoulos[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kostantinos E Stamoulis[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Kostantinos Agorastos[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Efthimia A Petinaki[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Panagiotis Prezerakos[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Sotirios Tsiodras[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Christos Hadjichristodoulou[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33799791
- DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18062878
Abstract
A COVID-19 outbreak occurred among residents of a Roma settlement in Greece (8 April-4 June 2020). The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with an increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and to evaluate the effectiveness of control measures implemented. Data were analyzed from individuals that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 during contact tracing, population screening or hospital visits. RT-PCR was used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in oropharyngeal samples. Risk factors for household secondary attack rates (SAR) and hospitalization with COVID-19 were examined using chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests and logistic regression analyses. During the outbreak, 142 cases, 20 hospitalizations and 1 death were recorded, with a total of 2273 individuals tested. The risk of hospitalization was associated with age (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07) and Cycle threshold (Ct) values (OR for a decrease in Ct values by 1: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.31). Household SAR was estimated at 38.62% (95% CI: 32.50-45.01%). After the designation of an isolation facility for cases, household SAR declined from 74.42% to 31.03%. Household size was associated with the risk of infection (OR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.00-7.07). The presence of COVID-19 symptoms among index cases was correlated with higher transmission (OR: 23.68, 95% CI 2.21-253.74) in multivariate analysis, while age was found to be associated with SAR only in univariate analysis. Roma communities can be particularly vulnerable to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In similar settings, symptomatic cases are more important transmitters of SARS-CoV-2. Within these communities, immediate measures should be implemented to mitigate disease spread.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; asymptomatic transmission; control measures; household transmission; vulnerable populations.