Estimation of COVID-19 basic reproduction ratio in a large urban jail in the United States

Puglisi, Lisa; Malloy, Giovanni S. P.; Harvey, Tyler D.; Brandeau, Margaret L.; Wang, Emily A.

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.09.002

Cited by 37 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…It is unclear why this might be the case, although increased control measures among the community population (like mask wearing, school closures, limitations on restaurants and gyms, etc) may have decreased the per capita rates in the staff population to a level lower than they might have been otherwise, but meanwhile the prisoners were living in much the same environment as they had been during the summer wave (although it should be noted that most prisons reduced populations somewhat as the pandemic progressed through decarceration of low-risk inmates). These results are contrary to those of Puglisi et al (2020), who found that per capita rates of symptomatic infection were 40% higher in staff than inmates in an urban jail (22). Further study is warranted to determine the potential reasons for the disparity in results.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

“…To the authors' knowledge, ours is the rst study to examine this. The fact that decarceration actually decreased community risk of heightened SARS-COV-2 outbreaks is extremely interesting and again underlines the inter-connected nature of the inmate/staff/community populations (22), and how control measures aimed at one of those sub-populations can bene t the others. Further study is warranted to determine if this observation also holds for communities in the vicinity of state prisons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Study of SARS-COV-2 Outbreaks in US Federal Prisons: the Linkage Between Staff, Inmate, and Community Transmission

Towers

Wallace

Walker

et al. 2021

Preprint

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BackgroundSince the novel coronavirus SARS-COV-2 was first identified to be circulating in the US on January 20, 2020, some of the worst outbreaks have occurred within state and federal prisons. The vulnerability of inmate populations, and the additional threats posed to the health of prison staff and the people they contact in surrounding communities underline the need to better understand the dynamics of transmission in the inter-linked inmate/staff/community sub-populations to better inform optimal control of SARS-COV-2.MethodsWe examined SARS-CoV-2 case data from 101 non-administrative federal prisons between 5/18/2020 to 01/31/2021 and examined the per capita size of outbreaks in staff and inmates compared to outbreaks in the communities in the counties surrounding the prisons during the summer and winter waves of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. We also examined the impact of decarceration, comparing inmate, staff and community SARS-COV-2 outbreak sizes during the winter wave to the summer wave.ResultsFor both the summer and winter waves we found significant inter-correlations between per capita rates in the outbreaks among inmates, staff, and the community.Over-all during the pandemic, per capita rates were significantly higher in inmates than in both the staff and community (paired Student’s t-test p=0.03 and p<0.001, respectively). Per capita rates of inmate outbreaks depended significantly on security level, ranked from lowest to highest: High, Minimum, Medium, and Low security (population standardized Negative Binomial factor regression p=0.02).Federal prisons decreased the number of inmates by a relative factor of 96% comparing the winter to summer wave (one SD range [90%,102%]). Prisons with relative decarceration below the mean had significantly lower ratio of winter to summer per capita rates in inmates, and also in the surrounding counties (two-sided Student’s t-test p=0.04 and p=0.02, respectively). To our knowledge, this is the first analysis to examine the impact of decarceration on community rates of SARS-COV-2 transmission. ConclusionsWe found significant evidence of community/staff/inmate inter-linkage of SARS-COV-2 transmission. Decarceration ameliorates both prison and community SARS-COV-2 per capita rates. Further study is warranted to determine which control measures aimed at inmates and/or staff are most efficacious at preventing or controlling outbreaks.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Study of SARS-COV-2 Outbreaks in US Federal Prisons: the Linkage Between Staff, Inmate, and Community Transmission

Towers

Wallace

Walker

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…It is clear that COVID-19 spreads quickly within US prisons and jails (35), but ascertaining the degree to which cases manifesting in carceral institutions spread to surrounding communities requires more investigation. An early modeling study, which necessarily relied on various assumptions and estimated an eventual Significance As jails and prisons remain leading sites of COVID-19 outbreaks, mass incarceration poses ongoing health risks for communities.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Carceral-community epidemiology, structural racism, and COVID-19 disparities

Reinhart

Chen

2021

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Black and Hispanic communities are disproportionately affected by both incarceration and COVID-19. The epidemiological relationship between carceral facilities and community health during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, remains largely unexamined. Using data from Cook County Jail, we examine temporal patterns in the relationship between jail cycling (i.e., arrest and processing of individuals through jails before release) and community cases of COVID-19 in Chicago ZIP codes. We use multivariate regression analyses and a machine-learning tool, elastic regression, with 1,706 demographic control variables. We find that for each arrested individual cycled through Cook County Jail in March 2020, five additional cases of COVID-19 in their ZIP code of residence are independently attributable to the jail as of August. A total 86% of this additional disease burden is borne by majority-Black and/or -Hispanic ZIPs, accounting for 17% of cumulative COVID-19 cases in these ZIPs, 6% in majority-White ZIPs, and 13% across all ZIPs. Jail cycling in March alone can independently account for 21% of racial COVID-19 disparities in Chicago as of August 2020. Relative to all demographic variables in our analysis, jail cycling is the strongest predictor of COVID-19 rates, considerably exceeding poverty, race, and population density, for example. Arrest and incarceration policies appear to be increasing COVID-19 incidence in communities. Our data suggest that jails function as infectious disease multipliers and epidemiological pumps that are especially affecting marginalized communities. Given disproportionate policing and incarceration of racialized residents nationally, the criminal punishment system may explain a large proportion of racial COVID-19 disparities noted across the United States.

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“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, incarceration—of oneself or a loved one—is particularly stress-inducing because of the quick spread of the virus in congregate settings (Puglisi et al, 2021 ) and limited means of communication between incarcerated individuals and their families. The pandemic is increasing stress and conflict within families broadly, in addition to undermining relationship quality between romantic couples (Pietromonaco & Overall, 2020 ).…”

Section: Tmh Application To Correctionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Inspired Relational Telemental Health Services for Incarcerated Individuals and Their Families

et al. 2021

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The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused marriage and family therapists (MFTs) to alter how they provide clinical services. MFTs must determine how to deliver relationship-oriented services to underserved populations that are often forgotten during crises, including incarcerated individuals and their families. The primary purpose of this paper is to showcase how relational telemental health (TMH) services for incarcerated individuals and their families can increase access to services and improve relational health. Information is presented about corrections in the U.S., effects of incarceration on partners, children, and other family members, the behavioral health and relationship needs of incarcerated individuals, and current approaches to relational mental health and telehealth in corrections. Finally, suggestions are offered on how relational TMH could be used in corrections during the COVID-19 pandemic, including advocacy for collaborative healthcare, recommended implementation practices, and ethical considerations.

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Estimation of COVID-19 basic reproduction ratio in a large urban jail in the United States

Cited by 37 publications

References 9 publications

A Study of SARS-COV-2 Outbreaks in US Federal Prisons: the Linkage Between Staff, Inmate, and Community Transmission

A Study of SARS-COV-2 Outbreaks in US Federal Prisons: the Linkage Between Staff, Inmate, and Community Transmission

Carceral-community epidemiology, structural racism, and COVID-19 disparities

COVID-19 Inspired Relational Telemental Health Services for Incarcerated Individuals and Their Families

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