The value of contact tracing and isolation in mitigation of Covid-19 epidemic

Findings from outbreak investigation of Covid-19 onboard Nile Cruise Ship, Egypt, March 2020

Bibliographic Data

ID21879151
AuthorsHossam Hassan (0000-0003-2345-0314, Ministry of Health and Population, corresponding author), Hanaa Abo ElSood (Ministry of Health and Population), Basma Abd ElGawad (0000-0001-7866-2811, Ministry of Health and Population), Reham Kamel (0000-0001-6973-2662, Ministry of Health and Population), Manal Fahim (0000-0002-7206-4818, Ministry of Health and Population), Sahar El Shourbagy (Ministry of Health and Population), Shymaa Showky (0000-0002-0212-2437, Ministry of Health and Population), Amira Mohsen (0000-0003-4528-2243, National Research Centre), Salma Afifi (0000-0001-7705-5999, Ministry of Health and Population), Alaa Eid (0000-0002-9850-8632, Ministry of Health and Population)
Year2022
Volume7
IssueSuppl 3
Pagese008681
Publication date2022-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMJ Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908
PublisherBMJ (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008681
PMID35840167
OpenAlexW4285499077
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited9

WHO informed Egypt health authorities of individuals of different nationalities who proved positive for COVID-19 after returning from Egypt. Patients were among touristic group who visited Cairo and spent 1-week onboard Nile cruise ship. Investigation performed to confirm outbreak, detect source, and implement containment measures. Active case finding and contact tracing performed among contacts of the index cases and their contacts. Contacts defined as anyone within 6 feet from confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case for ≥15 min. Overall, 331 contacts, including 201 ship boarders and 130 hotel guests, were listed and interviewed using semistructured questionnaire and tested for COVID-19 by PCR. Among them, 136 (41.1%) were close contacts of index cases and 195 (58.9%) contacted secondary cases. Their mean age was 34.6±11.5 years, 251 (75.8%) were males and 126 (38.1%) non-Egyptians. Of them, 67 (20.2%) tested positive for COVID-19, including 57 (28.4%) ship boarders and 10 (7.7%) hotel guests. Per cent positive was significantly higher in: contacts of index cases, Egyptians, ship boarders and in males than corresponding categories (35.3% vs 9.7%, 22.9% vs 15.9%, 27.4% vs 7.7%, 24.7% vs 6.3%), respectively. Of all positive cases, 40 (59.7%) were asymptomatic where ship boarders, non-Egyptians, >50 years old and females were more likely to be asymptomatic than corresponding categories (85.0 vs 48.9%, 72.7 vs 54.5%, 100.0 vs 56.5%), respectively. COVID-19 patients among group of tourists triggered an outbreak onboard Nile ship and hotel in Egypt. Outbreak quickly contained through lab testing, case isolation, strict infection control measures and contact tracing which proved effective in reducing COVID-19 transmission early in pandemic

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Biology · Contact tracing · Cruise · Disease · Environmental health · Geography · Outbreak · Pandemic · Statistics · COVID-19 Digital Contact Tracing · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · Engineering · Immune responses and vaccinations · Mathematics · Medicine · Internal Medicine · Microbiology · Virology