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Packer S, Patrzylas P, Smith I, Chen C, Wensley A, Nsonwu O, Dack K, Turner C, Anderson C, Kwiatkowska R, Oliver I, Edeghere O, Fraser G, Hughes G. COVID-19 cluster surveillance using exposure data collected from routine contact tracing: The genomic validation of a novel informatics-based approach to outbreak detection in England. PLOS DIGITAL HEALTH 2024; 3:e0000485. [PMID: 38662648 PMCID: PMC11045073 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Contact tracing was used globally to prevent onwards transmission of COVID-19. Tracing contacts alone is unlikely to be sufficient in controlling community transmission, due to the pre-symptomatic, overdispersed and airborne nature of COVID-19 transmission. We describe and demonstrate the validity of a national enhanced contact tracing programme for COVID-19 cluster surveillance in England. Data on cases occurring between October 2020 and September 2021 were extracted from the national contact tracing system. Exposure clusters were identified algorithmically by matching ≥2 cases attending the same event, identified by matching postcode and event category within a 7-day rolling window. Genetic validity was defined as exposure clusters with ≥2 cases from different households with identical viral sequences. Exposure clusters were fuzzy matched to the national incident management system (HPZone) by postcode and setting description. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to determine cluster characteristics associated with genetic validity. Over a quarter of a million (269,470) exposure clusters were identified. Of the eligible clusters, 25% (3,306/13,008) were genetically valid. 81% (2684/3306) of these were not recorded on HPZone and were identified on average of one day earlier than incidents recorded on HPZone. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that exposure clusters occurring in workplaces (aOR = 5·10, 95% CI 4·23-6·17) and education (aOR = 3·72, 95% CI 3·08-4·49) settings were those most strongly associated with genetic validity. Cluster surveillance using enhanced contact tracing in England was a timely, comprehensive and systematic approach to the detection of transmission events occurring in community settings. Cluster surveillance can provide intelligence to stakeholders to support the assessment and management of clusters of COVID-19 at a local, regional, and national level. Future systems should include predictive modelling and network analysis to support risk assessment of exposure clusters to improve the effectiveness of enhanced contract tracing for outbreak detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Packer
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Piotr Patrzylas
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Iona Smith
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cong Chen
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Wensley
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kyle Dack
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charlie Turner
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Isabel Oliver
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Obaghe Edeghere
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Fraser
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gareth Hughes
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
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2
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Ko YK, Furuse Y, Otani K, Yamauchi M, Ninomiya K, Saito M, Imamura T, Cook AR, Ahiko T, Fujii S, Mori Y, Suzuki E, Yamada K, Ashino Y, Yamashita H, Kato Y, Mizuta K, Suzuki M, Oshitani H. Time-varying overdispersion of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during the periods when different variants of concern were circulating in Japan. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13230. [PMID: 37580339 PMCID: PMC10425347 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38007-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Japan has implemented a cluster-based approach for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the pandemic's beginning based on the transmission heterogeneity (overdispersion) of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, studies analyzing overdispersion of transmission among new variants of concerns (VOCs), especially for Omicron, were limited. Thus, we aimed to clarify how the transmission heterogeneity has changed with the emergence of VOCs (Alpha, Delta, and Omicron) using detailed contact tracing data in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. We estimated the time-varying dispersion parameter ([Formula: see text]) by fitting a negative binomial distribution for each transmission generation. Our results showed that even after the emergence of VOCs, there was transmission heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2, with changes in [Formula: see text] during each wave. Continuous monitoring of transmission dynamics is vital for implementing appropriate measures. However, a feasible and sustainable epidemiological analysis system should be established to make this possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yura K Ko
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yuki Furuse
- Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kanako Otani
- Center for Surveillance, Immunization, and Epidemiologic Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Kota Ninomiya
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mayuko Saito
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Takeaki Imamura
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Alex R Cook
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tadayuki Ahiko
- Division of Health and Welfare Planning, Yamagata Prefectural Government, Yamagata, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yuichi Kato
- Yamagata City Institute of Public Health, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Katsumi Mizuta
- Yamagata Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Motoi Suzuki
- Center for Surveillance, Immunization, and Epidemiologic Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Oshitani
- Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan.
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Wang C, Huang X, Lau EHY, Cowling BJ, Tsang TK. Association Between Population-Level Factors and Household Secondary Attack Rate of SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 10:ofac676. [PMID: 36655186 PMCID: PMC9835764 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Accurate estimation of household secondary attack rate (SAR) is crucial to understand the transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The impact of population-level factors, such as transmission intensity in the community, on SAR estimates is rarely explored. Methods In this study, we included articles with original data to compute the household SAR. To determine the impact of transmission intensity in the community on household SAR estimates, we explored the association between SAR estimates and the incidence rate of cases by country during the study period. Results We identified 163 studies to extract data on SARs from 326 031 cases and 2 009 859 household contacts. The correlation between the incidence rate of cases during the study period and SAR estimates was 0.37 (95% CI, 0.24-0.49). We found that doubling the incidence rate of cases during the study period was associated with a 1.2% (95% CI, 0.5%-1.8%) higher household SAR. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the incidence rate of cases during the study period is associated with higher SAR. Ignoring this factor may overestimate SARs, especially for regions with high incidences, which further impacts control policies and epidemiological characterization of emerging variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Wang
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Xiaotong Huang
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Eric H Y Lau
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Benjamin J Cowling
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Tim K Tsang
- Correspondence: Tim K. Tsang, PhD, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 7 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China ()
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Tomioka K, Shima M, Saeki K. Number of public health nurses and COVID-19 incidence rate by variant type: an ecological study of 47 prefectures in Japan. Environ Health Prev Med 2022; 27:18. [PMID: 35527010 PMCID: PMC9251616 DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.22-00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Community health activities by public health nurses (PHNs) are known to improve lifestyle habits of local residents, and may encourage the practice of infectious disease prevention behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the association between prefecture-level COVID-19 incidence rate and the number of PHNs per population in Japan, by the COVID-19 variant type. Methods Our data were based on government surveys where prefectural-level data are accessible to the public. The outcome variable was the COVID-19 incidence rate (i.e., the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population for each variant type in 47 prefectures). The explanatory variable was the number of PHNs per 100,000 population by prefecture. Covariates included socioeconomic factors, regional characteristics, healthcare resources, and health behaviors. The generalized estimating equations of the multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the COVID-19 cases. We performed stratified analyses by variant type (i.e., wild type, alpha variant, and delta variant). Results A total of 1,705,224 confirmed COVID-19 cases (1351.6 per 100,000 population) in Japan were reported as of September 30, 2021. The number of PHNs per 100,000 population in Japan was 41.9. Multivariable Poisson regression models showed that a lower number of PHNs per population was associated with higher IRR of COVID-19. Among all COVID-19 cases, compared to the highest quintile group of the number of PHNs per population, the adjusted IRR of the lowest quintile group was consistently significant in the models adjusting for socioeconomic factors (IRR: 3.76, 95% CI: 2.55–5.54), regional characteristics (1.73, 1.28–2.34), healthcare resources (3.88, 2.45–6.16), and health behaviors (2.17, 1.39–3.37). These significant associations were unaffected by the variant type of COVID-19. Conclusion We found that the COVID-19 incidence rate was higher in prefectures with fewer PHNs per population, regardless of the COVID-19 variant type. By increasing the number of PHNs, it may be possible to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Japan and provide an effective human resource to combat emerging infectious diseases in the future. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.22-00013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimiko Tomioka
- Nara Prefectural Health Research Center, Nara Medical University
| | - Midori Shima
- Nara Prefectural Health Research Center, Nara Medical University
| | - Keigo Saeki
- Nara Prefectural Health Research Center, Nara Medical University
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Wagatsuma K, Sato R, Yamazaki S, Iwaya M, Takahashi Y, Nojima A, Oseki M, Abe T, Phyu WW, Tamura T, Sekizuka T, Kuroda M, Matsumoto HH, Saito R. Genomic Epidemiology Reveals Multiple Introductions of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Niigata City, Japan, Between February and May 2020. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:749149. [PMID: 34777297 PMCID: PMC8581661 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.749149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a serious disease burden and poses a tremendous public health challenge worldwide. Here, we report a comprehensive epidemiological and genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 from 63 patients in Niigata City, a medium-sized Japanese city, during the early phase of the pandemic, between February and May 2020. Among the 63 patients, 32 (51%) were female, with a mean (±standard deviation) age of 47.9 ± 22.3 years. Fever (65%, 41/63), malaise (51%, 32/63), and cough (35%, 22/63) were the most common clinical symptoms. The median Ct value after the onset of symptoms lowered within 9 days at 20.9 cycles (interquartile range, 17–26 cycles), but after 10 days, the median Ct value exceeded 30 cycles (p < 0.001). Of the 63 cases, 27 were distributed in the first epidemic wave and 33 in the second, and between the two waves, three cases from abroad were identified. The first wave was epidemiologically characterized by a single cluster related to indoor sports activity spread in closed settings, which included mixing indoors with families, relatives, and colleagues. The second wave showed more epidemiologically diversified events, with most index cases not related to each other. Almost all secondary cases were infected by droplets or aerosols from closed indoor settings, but at least two cases in the first wave were suspected to be contact infections. Results of the genomic analysis identified two possible clusters in Niigata City, the first of which was attributed to clade S (19B by Nexstrain clade) with a monophyletic group derived from the Wuhan prototype strain but that of the second wave was polyphyletic suggesting multiple introductions, and the clade was changed to GR (20B), which mainly spread in Europe in early 2020. These findings depict characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the early stages in local community settings during February to May 2020 in Japan, and this integrated approach of epidemiological and genomic analysis may provide valuable information for public health policy decision-making for successful containment of chains of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Wagatsuma
- Division of International Health (Public Health), Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Sato
- Niigata City Public Health and Sanitation Center, Niigata, Japan
| | - Satoru Yamazaki
- Niigata City Public Health and Sanitation Center, Niigata, Japan
| | - Masako Iwaya
- Niigata City Public Health and Sanitation Center, Niigata, Japan
| | | | - Akiko Nojima
- Niigata City Public Health and Sanitation Center, Niigata, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Oseki
- Division of Health Science, Niigata City Institute of Public Health and Environment, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takashi Abe
- Division of Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Wint Wint Phyu
- Division of International Health (Public Health), Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Tamura
- Virology Section, Niigata Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Sekizuka
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Kuroda
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruki H Matsumoto
- Division of Health and Welfare, Niigata Prefectural Government Office, Niigata, Japan
| | - Reiko Saito
- Division of International Health (Public Health), Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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6
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Madewell ZJ, Yang Y, Longini IM, Halloran ME, Dean NE. Factors Associated With Household Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2122240. [PMID: 34448865 PMCID: PMC8397928 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.22240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance A previous systematic review and meta-analysis of household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 that summarized 54 published studies through October 19, 2020, found an overall secondary attack rate (SAR) of 16.6% (95% CI, 14.0%-19.3%). However, the understanding of household secondary attack rates for SARS-CoV-2 is still evolving, and updated analysis is needed. Objective To use newly published data to further the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the household. Data Sources PubMed and reference lists of eligible articles were used to search for records published between October 20, 2020, and June 17, 2021. No restrictions on language, study design, time, or place of publication were applied. Studies published as preprints were included. Study Selection Articles with original data that reported at least 2 of the following factors were included: number of household contacts with infection, total number of household contacts, and secondary attack rates among household contacts. Studies that reported household infection prevalence (which includes index cases), that tested contacts using antibody tests only, and that included populations overlapping with another included study were excluded. Search terms were SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 with secondary attack rate, household, close contacts, contact transmission, contact attack rate, or family transmission. Data Extraction and Synthesis Meta-analyses were performed using generalized linear mixed models to obtain SAR estimates and 95% CIs. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline was followed. Main Outcomes and Measures Overall household SAR for SARS-CoV-2, SAR by covariates (contact age, sex, ethnicity, comorbidities, and relationship; index case age, sex, symptom status, presence of fever, and presence of cough; number of contacts; study location; and variant), and SAR by index case identification period. Results A total of 2722 records (2710 records from database searches and 12 records from the reference lists of eligible articles) published between October 20, 2020, and June 17, 2021, were identified. Of those, 93 full-text articles reporting household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 were assessed for eligibility, and 37 studies were included. These 37 new studies were combined with 50 of the 54 studies (published through October 19, 2020) from our previous review (4 studies from Wuhan, China, were excluded because their study populations overlapped with another recent study), resulting in a total of 87 studies representing 1 249 163 household contacts from 30 countries. The estimated household SAR for all 87 studies was 18.9% (95% CI, 16.2%-22.0%). Compared with studies from January to February 2020, the SAR for studies from July 2020 to March 2021 was higher (13.4% [95% CI, 10.7%-16.7%] vs 31.1% [95% CI, 22.6%-41.1%], respectively). Results from subgroup analyses were similar to those reported in a previous systematic review and meta-analysis; however, the SAR was higher to contacts with comorbidities (3 studies; 50.0% [95% CI, 41.4%-58.6%]) compared with previous findings, and the estimated household SAR for the B.1.1.7 (α) variant was 24.5% (3 studies; 95% CI, 10.9%-46.2%). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study suggest that the household remains an important site of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and recent studies have higher household SAR estimates compared with the earliest reports. More transmissible variants and vaccines may be associated with further changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - Ira M. Longini
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville
| | - M. Elizabeth Halloran
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Natalie E. Dean
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville
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