Alireza Mirahmadizadeh; Mousa Ghelichi-Ghojogh; Fatemeh Rezaei; Mehdi Nejat; Haleh Ghaem; Jafar Hassanzadeh; Mohammadreza Karimi; Zohre Khodamoradi; Kimia Jokari; Leila Jahangiry
Abstract
Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted through direct, indirect, or close contact with infected people by contaminated respiratory droplets or saliva. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the secondary ...
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Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted through direct, indirect, or close contact with infected people by contaminated respiratory droplets or saliva. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the secondary attack rate (SAR) in the cases’ close contact.Methods: A total of 431 confirmed COVID-19 patients were randomly selected using systematic random sampling from 15 May to 13 June 2020. The required data were extracted from the CORONALAB database of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Detection of COVID-19 was performed using Real- Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and nasopharyngeal swabs. SAR was also calculated for different groups.Results: Among the index cases, 64.27% were male, 24.80% were public sector employees, and 4.87% were admitted to the intensive care unit. In addition, most of them aged 30-39 years. The SAR was 11.56% (95% CI: 9.86% to 13.25%) in the close contacts. Accordingly, the highest SAR was observed among the friends, 19.05% (95% CI: 7.17% to 30.92%), followed by the spouses of COVID-19 cases, 16.67% (95% CI: 10.81% to 22.51%). Furthermore, diabetes (6.03%) and cardiovascular disease (5.1%) were the most common comorbidities among the index cases.Conclusion: The findings suggested that the SAR was relatively lower among the close contacts. Considering the familial and non-familial relationships between the index cases and their close contacts were the major causes of disease transmission. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct tracing for COVID-19 contacts in all cases with whom patients have had close contact.
Faith Ireye; Alphonsus O Aigbiremolen; Olubowale Ekundare Famiyesin; Grace Ireotoi; Ephraim Ogbaini-Emovon; Osamwonyi Irowa; Osasu Imafidon; Wisdom William
Abstract
Background
Edo State has recorded recurrent Lassa fever (LF) outbreaks in the past and had the highest proportion of confirmed cases in Nigeria in 2018. The aim of this study was to profile Lassa fever contacts and demonstrate the implications of contact tracing in the control of the disease.
Methods
This ...
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Background
Edo State has recorded recurrent Lassa fever (LF) outbreaks in the past and had the highest proportion of confirmed cases in Nigeria in 2018. The aim of this study was to profile Lassa fever contacts and demonstrate the implications of contact tracing in the control of the disease.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study which was based on secondary analysis of information derived from Lassa fever contact tracing forms used during the response to the LF outbreak of 2018 in Edo State. Contact tracing and data management were part of WHO’s support to the State. Using SPSS, associations and other relationships between selected variables were tested. The significance level was set at p< 0.05.
Results
Total contacts followed up were 2527 during the period under consideration. Higher mean contacts per case (CPC) was significantly associated with contacts in Edo South, with contacts of cases that died and with cases with symptomatic contacts (F= 8.307, p<0.001; t= 14.995, p<0.001; t= 6.161, p= 0.014 respectively). Following the integration of contact tracing with awareness campaigns, the number of newly diagnosed cases per week dropped from over 30 in the 7th week to 2 in the 13th week (42 days or 2 incubation periods).
Conclusion
Effective contact tracing contributed significantly to the identification of symptomatic contacts and to rapid control of the 2018 Lassa fever outbreak in Edo State. We recommend the deployment of effective contact tracing in the control of outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers especially Lassa fever.
