Characteristics of transmission routes of COVID-19 cluster infections in Gangwon Province, Korea

Abstract

This study investigated the characteristics of transmission routes of COVID-19 cluster infections (⩾10 linked cases within a short period) in Gangwon Province between 22 February 2020 and 31 May 2021. Transmission routes were divided into five major categories and 35 sub-categories according to the relationship between the infector and the infectee and the location of transmission. A total of 61 clusters occurred during the study period, including 1741 confirmed cases (55.7% of all confirmed cases (n = 3125)). The the five major routes of transmission were as follows: 'using (staying in) the same facility (50.7%), 'cohabiting family members' (23.3%), 'social gatherings with acquaintances' (10.8%), 'other transmission routes' (7.0%), and 'social gatherings with non-cohabiting family members/relatives' (5.5%). For transmission caused by using (staying in) the same facility, the highest number of confirmed cases was associated with churches, followed by medical institutions (inpatient), sports facilities, military bases, offices, nightlife businesses, schools, restaurants, day-care centres and kindergarten, and service businesses. Our analysis highlights specific locations with frequent transmission of infections, and transmission routes that should be targeted in situations where adherence to disease control rules is difficult. 8Chaeyun Lim et al.

Modifiable risk factors of COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis: a single-centre case–control study

“…Other studies showed that housing conditions, such as overcrowded housing, are an important risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection [ 1 , 26 ]. Household exposure can be a relevant risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients who rarely leave their home.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, no other study demonstrated that specifically the number of cohabitants also increases the risk in PwMS. This result is particularly challenging if we consider that reduced human interaction related to COVID-19 has a profound impact on organic and mental health [ 1 , 26 , 27 ]. Although it is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, we still encourage social interactions between PwMS and their relatives, but we recommend strict adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures, such as FFP2 mask wearing and frequent hand sanitizing.…”

Modified susceptible–exposed–infectious–recovered model for assessing the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul

“… Lim et al (2022) showed that 55.7% of confirmed cases were caused by mass infection, which occurred in various facilities such as restaurants, sports facilities, and entertainment businesses. To prevent mass infection, the Korean government has prohibited private gatherings of more than five people in most places, including restaurants and party rooms, on December 23, 2020.…”

Molecular Characterization and Cluster Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Isolates in Kahramanmaraş City, Turkey: The Delta VOC Wave within One Month

“…Alongside timely diagnosis, the WHO and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) advised to detect variant circulation using SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome or spike (S), partial or complete, gene sequencing [ 8 ]. Phylogenetic analysis of newly generated sequences combined with epidemiological and clinical data was a key tool to understand the transmissibility pathway of this pandemic virus and to manage public health measures against COVID-19 disease [ 9 , 10 ]. In March 2020, the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database started to share SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Turkey, contributing to the performance of molecular characterization and to evaluate the prevalence and diffusion of variants in this specific geographic area [ 4 ].…”