A large national outbreak of COVID-19 linked to air travel, Ireland, summer 2020
Nicola Murphy, Máirín Boland, Niamh Bambury, Margaret Fitzgerald, Liz Comerford, Niamh Dever, Margaret B. O’Sullivan, Naomi Petty‐Saphon, Regina Kiernan, Mette Alsbjerg Jensen, Lois O’Connor
Abstract
An outbreak of 59 cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originated with 13 cases linked by a 7 h, 17% occupancy flight into Ireland, summer 2020. The flight-associated attack rate was 9.8-17.8%. Spread to 46 non-flight cases occurred country-wide. Asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic transmission in-flight from a point source is implicated by 99% homology across the virus genome in five cases travelling from three different continents. Restriction of movement on arrival and robust contact tracing can limit propagation post-flight.
Topics & Concepts
OutbreakCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Contact tracingSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)2019-20 coronavirus outbreakAir travelGeographyAsymptomaticTransmission (telecommunications)VirologyMeteorologyCoronavirusDemographyMedicineDiseaseInfectious disease (medical specialty)AviationInternal medicineComputer scienceTelecommunicationsEngineeringAerospace engineeringSociologyCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchInfection Control and Ventilation