Multi-household social gatherings contribute to the second SARS-CoV-2 wave in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, August to November 2020
Background - Although the private household setting is considered a major driver of viral spread, only little is known about the contextual details of SARS-CoV-2 household transmission, thus hampering political decision-making. - Materials and methods - We analyzed individual case and cluster data f...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
8 April 2022
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| In: |
Journal of infection
Year: 2022, Volume: 84, Issue: 4, Pages: 551-557 |
| ISSN: | 1532-2742 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jinf.2022.01.028 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2022.01.028 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163445322000287 
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| Author Notes: | Markus Schepers, Philipp Zanger, Klaus Jahn, Jochem König, Konstantin Strauch, Emilio Gianicolo |
| Summary: | Background - Although the private household setting is considered a major driver of viral spread, only little is known about the contextual details of SARS-CoV-2 household transmission, thus hampering political decision-making. - Materials and methods - We analyzed individual case and cluster data from statutory notifications from August to November 2020 in Rhineland-Palatinate - the period preceding the second SARS-CoV-2 wave. We also conducted an into-depth survey on contextual details of household transmission in a representative sample of 149 private household clusters that had occurred during this period. - Results - During the study period, 18,695 PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases were notified, 3,642 of which occurred in 911 clusters (private households (67.3%), the workplace (7.8%), elderly homes (1.8%), others (23.2%). Demographically, clustered cases were representative of all notified cases. Two-thirds (77/113, 68%) of sample response clusters involved more than one private household. These caused on average more close contact persons (mean 13.5, ±SD 15.8) and secondary cases (3.9, ±SD 0.4) than clusters involving one household only (5.1 ± 13.8 and 2.9 ± 0.2). About one in six multi-household clusters in the private setting (13/77) followed a social gathering (e.g. birthday party). Breaches of one or more of the three major barrier concepts (mask, ventilation, and distance) were identified in most (10/13) of these social gatherings. SARS-CoV-2 clusters following social gatherings were overrepresented during the second half of the study period. - Conclusion - In times of increasing infectious pressure in a given population, multi-household social gatherings appear to be an important target for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 01.08.2022 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1532-2742 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jinf.2022.01.028 |