Primary to tertiary COVID-19 transmission in a hospital - A cluster outbreak analysis

J Family Med Prim Care. 2021 Mar;10(3):1489-1492. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2104_20. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Abstract

The recent pandemic of SARS COV-2, a novel coronavirus requires research into understanding of its transmission dynamics and clinical presentations to help in understanding the spread of the disease, how to prevent it not only locally but also for national policy formulations. In this study, we described the transmission dynamics and clinical presentations of a cluster outbreak of SARS COV-2 in a tertiary level hospital. We also calculated the secondary attack rate for the primary, secondary, and tertiary transmissions. We conclude that symptomatic COVID-19 are primary and secondary contacts rather than tertiary contacts, hence, former to be quarantined. However, tertiary transmission is causing more COVID-19 compared to other transmissions in a hospital outbreak without further transmissibility. And overall secondary attack rate is very low in a hospital outbreak.

Keywords: Coronavirus; hospital outbreak; nosocomial transmission; secondary attack rate.

Publication types

  • Case Reports