First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunities
Objectives: Confirm existence of COVID-19 outbreak, conduct contact tracing, and recommend control measures. Methods: Two COVID-19 cases in Sana’a Capital met the WHO case definition. Data were collected from cases and contacts who were followed for 14 days. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken for confi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2021-10-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971221003337 |
| _version_ | 1818751364609605632 |
|---|---|
| author | Ehab Al-Sakkaf Yasser Ghaleb Esmail Al-Dabis Mohammed Qairan Mohammed Al Amad Abdulwahed Al Serouri Abdulhakim Al-Kohlani |
| author_facet | Ehab Al-Sakkaf Yasser Ghaleb Esmail Al-Dabis Mohammed Qairan Mohammed Al Amad Abdulwahed Al Serouri Abdulhakim Al-Kohlani |
| author_sort | Ehab Al-Sakkaf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Confirm existence of COVID-19 outbreak, conduct contact tracing, and recommend control measures. Methods: Two COVID-19 cases in Sana’a Capital met the WHO case definition. Data were collected from cases and contacts who were followed for 14 days. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken for confirmation by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: Two confirmed Yemeni male patients aged 20 and 40 years who had no travel history were admitted to hospital on 24 April 2020. Regarding the first patient, symptoms started on April 18th, 2020 then the patient improved and was discharged on May 5th, while the second patient’s symptoms started on April 22nd but the patient died on April 29th, 2020. Both patients had 54 contacts, 17 (32%) were health workers (HWs). Four contacts (7%) were confirmed, two of them were HWs that needed hospitalization. The secondary attack rate (sAR) was 12% among HWs compared to 5% among other contacts. Conclusions: First COVID-19 outbreak was confirmed among Yemeni citizens with a high sAR among HWs. Strict infection control among HWs should be ensured. Physical distancing and mask-wearing with appropriate disinfecting measures should be promoted especially among contacts. There is a need to strengthen national capacities to assess, detect, and respond to public health emergencies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T04:34:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f4b848816374b37ad93a4b9bb7fd182 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1201-9712 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T04:34:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f4b848816374b37ad93a4b9bb7fd1822022-12-21T21:20:54ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases1201-97122021-10-01110S6S10First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunitiesEhab Al-Sakkaf0Yasser Ghaleb1Esmail Al-Dabis2Mohammed Qairan3Mohammed Al Amad4Abdulwahed Al Serouri5Abdulhakim Al-Kohlani6Field Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Public Health and Papulation, Sana’a, Yemen; Corresponding author at: Sana’a University, Field Epidemiology Training Program (Y-FETP), Ministry of Public Health and Population, Sana’a capital, Yemen.Field Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Public Health and Papulation, Sana’a, YemenField Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Public Health and Papulation, Sana’a, YemenElectronic Integrated Disease Early Warning System, Ministry of Public Health and Population, Sana’a, YemenField Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Public Health and Papulation, Sana’a, YemenField Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Public Health and Papulation, Sana’a, Yemen; Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Sana’a University, Sana’a, YemenField Epidemiology Training Program, Ministry of Public Health and Papulation, Sana’a, YemenObjectives: Confirm existence of COVID-19 outbreak, conduct contact tracing, and recommend control measures. Methods: Two COVID-19 cases in Sana’a Capital met the WHO case definition. Data were collected from cases and contacts who were followed for 14 days. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken for confirmation by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: Two confirmed Yemeni male patients aged 20 and 40 years who had no travel history were admitted to hospital on 24 April 2020. Regarding the first patient, symptoms started on April 18th, 2020 then the patient improved and was discharged on May 5th, while the second patient’s symptoms started on April 22nd but the patient died on April 29th, 2020. Both patients had 54 contacts, 17 (32%) were health workers (HWs). Four contacts (7%) were confirmed, two of them were HWs that needed hospitalization. The secondary attack rate (sAR) was 12% among HWs compared to 5% among other contacts. Conclusions: First COVID-19 outbreak was confirmed among Yemeni citizens with a high sAR among HWs. Strict infection control among HWs should be ensured. Physical distancing and mask-wearing with appropriate disinfecting measures should be promoted especially among contacts. There is a need to strengthen national capacities to assess, detect, and respond to public health emergencies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971221003337COVID-19OutbreakContact tracingHealth workersYemen |
| spellingShingle | Ehab Al-Sakkaf Yasser Ghaleb Esmail Al-Dabis Mohammed Qairan Mohammed Al Amad Abdulwahed Al Serouri Abdulhakim Al-Kohlani First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunities International Journal of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Outbreak Contact tracing Health workers Yemen |
| title | First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunities |
| title_full | First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunities |
| title_fullStr | First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunities |
| title_full_unstemmed | First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunities |
| title_short | First COVID-19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers, Sana’a capital, April 2020: Lessons learned and future opportunities |
| title_sort | first covid 19 cases with high secondary infection among health workers sana a capital april 2020 lessons learned and future opportunities |
| topic | COVID-19 Outbreak Contact tracing Health workers Yemen |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971221003337 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ehabalsakkaf firstcovid19caseswithhighsecondaryinfectionamonghealthworkerssanaacapitalapril2020lessonslearnedandfutureopportunities AT yasserghaleb firstcovid19caseswithhighsecondaryinfectionamonghealthworkerssanaacapitalapril2020lessonslearnedandfutureopportunities AT esmailaldabis firstcovid19caseswithhighsecondaryinfectionamonghealthworkerssanaacapitalapril2020lessonslearnedandfutureopportunities AT mohammedqairan firstcovid19caseswithhighsecondaryinfectionamonghealthworkerssanaacapitalapril2020lessonslearnedandfutureopportunities AT mohammedalamad firstcovid19caseswithhighsecondaryinfectionamonghealthworkerssanaacapitalapril2020lessonslearnedandfutureopportunities AT abdulwahedalserouri firstcovid19caseswithhighsecondaryinfectionamonghealthworkerssanaacapitalapril2020lessonslearnedandfutureopportunities AT abdulhakimalkohlani firstcovid19caseswithhighsecondaryinfectionamonghealthworkerssanaacapitalapril2020lessonslearnedandfutureopportunities |