Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 during Border Quarantine and Air Travel, New Zealand (Aotearoa)

The strategy in New Zealand (Aotearoa) to eliminate coronavirus disease requires that international arrivals undergo managed isolation and quarantine and mandatory testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Combining genomic and epidemiologic data, we investigated the origin of an...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nick Eichler, Craig Thornley, Tara Swadi, Tom Devine, Caroline McElnay, Jillian Sherwood, Cheryl Brunton, Felicity Williamson, Josh Freeman, Sarah Berger, Xiaoyun Ren, Matt Storey, Joep de Ligt, Jemma L. Geoghegan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2021-05-01
Series:Emerging Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/5/21-0514_article
Description
Summary:The strategy in New Zealand (Aotearoa) to eliminate coronavirus disease requires that international arrivals undergo managed isolation and quarantine and mandatory testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Combining genomic and epidemiologic data, we investigated the origin of an acute case of coronavirus disease identified in the community after the patient had spent 14 days in managed isolation and quarantine and had 2 negative test results. By combining genomic sequence analysis and epidemiologic investigations, we identified a multibranched chain of transmission of this virus, including on international and domestic flights, as well as a probable case of aerosol transmission without direct person-to-person contact. These findings show the power of integrating genomic and epidemiologic data to inform outbreak investigations.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059