Transmission Dynamics of the Delta Variant of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in South Korea
| Autor: | Hari Hwang, Jun-Sik Lim, Sun-Ah Song, Chiara Achangwa, Woobeom Sim, Giho Kim, Sukhyun Ryu |
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| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Adolescent Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction SARS-CoV-2 Incidence Infant Newborn COVID-19 Infant Middle Aged Disease Outbreaks Virus Shedding Infectious Diseases Child Preschool Communicable Disease Control Republic of Korea Immunology and Allergy Humans Female Contact Tracing Child Aged |
| Zdroj: | The Journal of infectious diseases. 225(5) |
| ISSN: | 1537-6613 |
| Popis: | Background The Delta variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was the predominant variant worldwide at the time of this study. However, its transmission dynamics were unclear. Methods We analyzed 405 local cases infected with the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 and temporal patterns of viral shedding identified between 22 June and 31 July 2021 in Daejeon, South Korea. Results Overall, 20% were presymptomatic at the time of epidemiological investigation. We identified 6 clustered outbreaks, and all were associated with indoor facilities. In 23 household contacts, the secondary attack rate was 63%. We estimated the mean serial interval as 3.26 days (95% credible interval, 2.92–3.60), and 15% (95% confidence interval, 13%–18%) of cases seeded 80% of all local transmission. Analysis of the nasopharyngeal swab samples identified virus shedding from the presymptomatic cases and the highest viral load was observed 2 days after symptom onset. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the Delta variant is highly transmissible in indoor settings and households. Rapid contact tracing, isolation of the asymptomatic contacts, strict adherence to public health measures, and increased uptake of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, including booster doses, are needed to reduce community transmission of the Delta variant. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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