A SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a public order and safety training facility in England, June 2021.

Autor: Gilham EL; Rapid Investigation Team, Field Services, UK Health Security Agency, Wellington House, Waterloo Road, London, United Kingdom., Raja AI; Health Equity Action Lab, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology & International Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom., van Veldhoven K; Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom., Nicholls G; Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, United Kingdom., Sandys V; Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, United Kingdom., Atkinson B; Research and Evaluation, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom., Spencer A; Research and Evaluation, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom., Nicholls I; Research and Evaluation, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom., Cooke J; Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, United Kingdom., Bennett A; Research and Evaluation, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom., Morgan D; Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, United Kingdom., Keen C; Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, United Kingdom., Fletcher T; Chemical and Environmental Effects Department, UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Campus, Chilton, United Kingdom., Pearce N; Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom., Manley P; Rapid Investigation Team, Field Services, UK Health Security Agency, Wellington House, Waterloo Road, London, United Kingdom., Brickley EB; Health Equity Action Lab, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology & International Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom., Chen Y; Science Division, Health and Safety Executive, Harpur Hill, Buxton, United Kingdom.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Annals of work exposures and health [Ann Work Expo Health] 2024 Aug 08; Vol. 68 (7), pp. 770-776.
DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxae038
Abstrakt: Background: The public order and safety (POS) sector remains susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreaks, as workplace attendance is typically compulsory and close physical contact is often needed. Here, we report on a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak with an attack rate of 39% (9/23), which occurred between 19 and 29 June 2021 among a cohort of new POS recruits participating in a mandatory 18-week training programme in England.
Methods: The COVID-OUT (COVID-19 Outbreak investigation to Understand Transmission) study team undertook a multidisciplinary outbreak investigation, including viral surface sampling, workplace environmental assessment, participant viral and antibody testing, and questionnaires, at the two associated training facilities between 5 July and 24 August 2021.
Results: Environmental factors, such as ventilation, were deemed inadequate in some areas of the workplace, with carbon dioxide (CO2) levels exceeding 1,500 ppm on multiple occasions within naturally ventilated classrooms. Activities during safety training required close contact, with some necessitating physical contact, physical exertion, and shouting. Furthermore, most participants reported having physical contact with colleagues (67%) and more than one close work contact daily (97%).
Conclusions: Our investigation suggests that site- and activity-specific factors likely contributed to the transmission risks within the POS trainee cohort. Potential interventions for mitigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission in this POS training context could include implementing regular rapid lateral flow testing, optimizing natural ventilation, using portable air cleaning devices in classrooms, and expanding use of well-fitted FFP2/FFP3 respirators during activities where prolonged close physical contact is required.
(© Crown copyright 2024.)
Databáze: MEDLINE