SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spread
Abstract Following the identification of SARS-CoV-2, screening for air travel helped mitigate spread, yet lessons learned from a case study of air travel within Canada display enhanced techniques to better identify infected individuals, informing future responsive screening. While international trav...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14586-z |
| _version_ | 1828746829010829312 |
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| author | Marc-Antoine de La Vega Ara XIII Marc F. Lee Gary P. Kobinger |
| author_facet | Marc-Antoine de La Vega Ara XIII Marc F. Lee Gary P. Kobinger |
| author_sort | Marc-Antoine de La Vega |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Following the identification of SARS-CoV-2, screening for air travel helped mitigate spread, yet lessons learned from a case study of air travel within Canada display enhanced techniques to better identify infected individuals, informing future responsive screening. While international travel bans limit infectious spread beyond a country’s borders, such measures are hardly sustainable economically and infrequently address domestic travel. Here, we describe a case study from Canada, where a diagnostic laboratory at point of travel conducted real-time PCR-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 in support of existing interventions, including clinical and epidemiological questionnaires, and temperature checks. All mining workers departing from a populated urban area flying to one of two sites (Site A and B) in a remote northern Canadian region, which we deemed “at-risk”, because healthcare services are limited and vulnerable to epidemics. Data collected between June and November 2020 on 15,873 clinical samples, indicate that molecular diagnosis allowed for identification of 13 infected individuals, who would have otherwise been missed by using solely nonpharmaceutical interventions. Overall, no outbreaks, COVID-19-related or other, were detected at the point of travel up to December 2021 since the implementation of the laboratory, suggesting this screening process is an effective means to protect at-risk communities. The success of this study suggests a process more practical than travel bans or an unfocused screening of air travelers everywhere. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:31:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90d2ffe1da9c4264b20f530eca57b683 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:31:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-90d2ffe1da9c4264b20f530eca57b6832022-12-22T02:12:01ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-07-011211510.1038/s41598-022-14586-zSARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spreadMarc-Antoine de La Vega0Ara XIII1Marc F. Lee2Gary P. Kobinger3Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston National LaboratoryCIUSSS de La Capitale-NationaleDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical BranchAbstract Following the identification of SARS-CoV-2, screening for air travel helped mitigate spread, yet lessons learned from a case study of air travel within Canada display enhanced techniques to better identify infected individuals, informing future responsive screening. While international travel bans limit infectious spread beyond a country’s borders, such measures are hardly sustainable economically and infrequently address domestic travel. Here, we describe a case study from Canada, where a diagnostic laboratory at point of travel conducted real-time PCR-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 in support of existing interventions, including clinical and epidemiological questionnaires, and temperature checks. All mining workers departing from a populated urban area flying to one of two sites (Site A and B) in a remote northern Canadian region, which we deemed “at-risk”, because healthcare services are limited and vulnerable to epidemics. Data collected between June and November 2020 on 15,873 clinical samples, indicate that molecular diagnosis allowed for identification of 13 infected individuals, who would have otherwise been missed by using solely nonpharmaceutical interventions. Overall, no outbreaks, COVID-19-related or other, were detected at the point of travel up to December 2021 since the implementation of the laboratory, suggesting this screening process is an effective means to protect at-risk communities. The success of this study suggests a process more practical than travel bans or an unfocused screening of air travelers everywhere.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14586-z |
| spellingShingle | Marc-Antoine de La Vega Ara XIII Marc F. Lee Gary P. Kobinger SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spread Scientific Reports |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spread |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spread |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spread |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spread |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel-related COVID-19 spread |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 molecular diagnosis at airports to minimize travel related covid 19 spread |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14586-z |
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