tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Open Forum Infect Dis
. 2021 Jan 19;8(2)
fab024.
doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab024. eCollection 2021 Feb.
Effective Containment of a COVID-19 Subregional Outbreak in Italy Through Strict Quarantine and Rearrangement of Local Health Care Services
Sara Tedeschi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lorenzo Badia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabio Berveglieri[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Rodolfo Ferrari[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Simona Coladonato[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sabrina Gabrielli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Antonio Maestri[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gabriele Peroni[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Maddalena Giannella[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Rossi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pierluigi Viale[SUP] 1 [/SUP], COVID-19 Fighting Team
Collaborators, Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Since the beginning of the pandemic, the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy has been characterized by the occurrence of subnational outbreaks. The World Health Organization recommended building the capacity to rapidly control COVID-19 clusters of cases in order to avoid the spread of the disease. This study describes a subregional outbreak of COVID-19 that occurred in the Emilia Romagna region, Italy, and the intervention undertaken to successfully control it.
Methods: Cases of COVID-19 were defined by a positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on nasopharyngeal swab. The outbreak involved the residential area of a small town, with ~10 500 inhabitants in an area of 9 km[SUP]2[/SUP]. After the recognition of the outbreak, local health care authorities implemented strict quarantine and a rearrangement of health care services, consisting of closure of general practitioner outpatient clinics, telephone contact with all residents, activation of health care units to visit at-home patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and a dedicated Infectious Diseases ambulatory unit at the nearest hospital.
Results: The outbreak lasted from February 24 to April 6, 2020, involving at least 170 people with a cumulative incidence of 160 cases/10 000 inhabitants; overall, 448 inhabitants of the municipality underwent at least 1 nasopharyngeal swab to detect SARS-CoV-2 (positivity rate, 38%). Ninety-three people presented symptoms before March 11 (pre-intervention period), and 77 presented symptoms during the postintervention period (March 11-April 6).
Conclusions: It was possible to control this COVID-19 outbreak by prompt recognition and implementation of a targeted local intervention.
Keywords: Italy; coronavirus; outbreak; quarantine.
. 2021 Jan 19;8(2)
fab024.doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab024. eCollection 2021 Feb.
Effective Containment of a COVID-19 Subregional Outbreak in Italy Through Strict Quarantine and Rearrangement of Local Health Care Services
Sara Tedeschi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lorenzo Badia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Fabio Berveglieri[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Rodolfo Ferrari[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Simona Coladonato[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sabrina Gabrielli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Antonio Maestri[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gabriele Peroni[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Maddalena Giannella[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Rossi[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pierluigi Viale[SUP] 1 [/SUP], COVID-19 Fighting Team
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 33623806
- PMCID: PMC7888567
- DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofab024
Abstract
Background: Since the beginning of the pandemic, the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Italy has been characterized by the occurrence of subnational outbreaks. The World Health Organization recommended building the capacity to rapidly control COVID-19 clusters of cases in order to avoid the spread of the disease. This study describes a subregional outbreak of COVID-19 that occurred in the Emilia Romagna region, Italy, and the intervention undertaken to successfully control it.
Methods: Cases of COVID-19 were defined by a positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on nasopharyngeal swab. The outbreak involved the residential area of a small town, with ~10 500 inhabitants in an area of 9 km[SUP]2[/SUP]. After the recognition of the outbreak, local health care authorities implemented strict quarantine and a rearrangement of health care services, consisting of closure of general practitioner outpatient clinics, telephone contact with all residents, activation of health care units to visit at-home patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and a dedicated Infectious Diseases ambulatory unit at the nearest hospital.
Results: The outbreak lasted from February 24 to April 6, 2020, involving at least 170 people with a cumulative incidence of 160 cases/10 000 inhabitants; overall, 448 inhabitants of the municipality underwent at least 1 nasopharyngeal swab to detect SARS-CoV-2 (positivity rate, 38%). Ninety-three people presented symptoms before March 11 (pre-intervention period), and 77 presented symptoms during the postintervention period (March 11-April 6).
Conclusions: It was possible to control this COVID-19 outbreak by prompt recognition and implementation of a targeted local intervention.
Keywords: Italy; coronavirus; outbreak; quarantine.