Multistate Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Infections, Including Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, Associated with Large Public Gatherings, United States
Radhika Gharpure, Samira Sami, Johanna Vostok, Hillary Johnson, Noémi B. Hall, Anne Foreman, Rebecca T. Sabo, Petra Schubert, Hanna Shephard, Vance Brown, Ben Brumfield, Jessica N. Ricaldi, Andrew B. Conley, Lindsay Zielinski, Lenka Malec, Alexandra Newman, Michelle Chang, Lauren E. Finn, Cameron Stainken, Anil T. Mangla, Patrick Eteme, Morgan Wieck, Alison Green, Alexandra Edmundson, Diana Reichbind, Vernell Brown, Laura Quiñones, Allison Longenberger, E. Hess, Megan Gumke, Alicia Manion, Hannah Thomas, Carla A. Barrios, Adrianna Koczwara, Thelonious W. Williams, Marcia Pearlowitz, Moussokoura Assoumou, Alessandra F. Senisse Pajares, Hope Dishman, Cody Schardin, Xiong Wang, Kendalyn Stephens, Nakema S. Moss, Gurpalik Singh, Christine Feaster, Lindsey Webb, Anna Krueger, Kristen Dickerson, Courtney Dewart, Bree Barbeau, Amelia Prebish Salmanson, Lawrence C. Madoff, Julie Villanueva, Catherine Brown, A. Scott Laney
Abstract
During July 2021, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.617.2 variant infections, including vaccine breakthrough infections, occurred after large public gatherings in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA, prompting a multistate investigation. Public health departments identified primary and secondary cases by using coronavirus disease surveillance data, case investigations, and contact tracing. A primary case was defined as SARS-CoV-2 detected <14 days after travel to or residence in Provincetown during July 3-17. A secondary case was defined as SARS-CoV-2 detected <14 days after close contact with a person who had a primary case but without travel to or residence in Provincetown during July 3-August 10. We identified 1,098 primary cases and 30 secondary cases associated with 26 primary cases among fully and non-fully vaccinated persons. Large gatherings can have widespread effects on SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and fully vaccinated persons should take precautions, such as masking, to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission, particularly during substantial or high transmission.