tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Lancet Reg Health Eur
. 2021 Mar;2:100015.
doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2020.100015.
Cross sectional investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak at a London Army barracks: Neutralising antibodies and virus isolation
Hannah Taylor[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], William Wall[SUP] 2 [/SUP], David Ross[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Roshni Janarthanan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Liyang Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Felicity Aiano[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joanna Ellis[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Robin Gopal[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Nick Andrews[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Monika Patel[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Angie Lackenby[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Richard Myers[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Mary E Ramsay[SUP] 1 [/SUP], J Yimmy Chow[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maria Zambon[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Shamez N Ladhani[SUP] 1 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Military personnel in enclosed societies are at increased risk of respiratory infections. We investigated an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a London Army barracks early in the pandemic.
Methods: Army personnel, their families and civilians had nasal and throat swabs for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcriptase -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), virus isolation and whole genome sequencing, along with blood samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All tests were repeated 36 days later.
Findings: During the first visit, 304 (254 Army personnel, 10 family members, 36 civilians, 4 not stated) participated and 24/304 (8%) were SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive. Infectious virus was isolated from 7/24 (29%). Of the 285 who provided a blood sample, 7% (19/285) were antibody positive and 63% (12/19) had neutralising antibodies. Twenty-two (22/34, 64%) individuals with laboratory-confirmed infection were asymptomatic. Nine SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive participants were also antibody positive but those who had neutralising antibodies did not have infectious virus. At the second visit, no new infections were detected, and 13% (25/193) were seropositive, including 52% (13/25) with neutralising antibodies. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity included contact with a confirmed case (RR 25.2; 95% CI 14-45), being female (RR 2.5; 95% CI 1.0-6.0) and two-person shared bathroom (RR 2.6; 95% CI 1.1-6.4).
Interpretation: We identified high rates of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Public Health control measures can mitigate spread but virus re-introduction from asymptomatic individuals remains a risk. Most seropositive individuals had neutralising antibodies and infectious virus was not recovered from anyone with neutralising antibodies.
. 2021 Mar;2:100015.
doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2020.100015.
Cross sectional investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak at a London Army barracks: Neutralising antibodies and virus isolation
Hannah Taylor[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], William Wall[SUP] 2 [/SUP], David Ross[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Roshni Janarthanan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Liyang Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Felicity Aiano[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joanna Ellis[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Robin Gopal[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Nick Andrews[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Monika Patel[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Angie Lackenby[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Richard Myers[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Mary E Ramsay[SUP] 1 [/SUP], J Yimmy Chow[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maria Zambon[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Shamez N Ladhani[SUP] 1 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33870245
- PMCID: PMC7834392
- DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2020.100015
Abstract
Background: Military personnel in enclosed societies are at increased risk of respiratory infections. We investigated an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a London Army barracks early in the pandemic.
Methods: Army personnel, their families and civilians had nasal and throat swabs for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcriptase -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), virus isolation and whole genome sequencing, along with blood samples for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All tests were repeated 36 days later.
Findings: During the first visit, 304 (254 Army personnel, 10 family members, 36 civilians, 4 not stated) participated and 24/304 (8%) were SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive. Infectious virus was isolated from 7/24 (29%). Of the 285 who provided a blood sample, 7% (19/285) were antibody positive and 63% (12/19) had neutralising antibodies. Twenty-two (22/34, 64%) individuals with laboratory-confirmed infection were asymptomatic. Nine SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive participants were also antibody positive but those who had neutralising antibodies did not have infectious virus. At the second visit, no new infections were detected, and 13% (25/193) were seropositive, including 52% (13/25) with neutralising antibodies. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity included contact with a confirmed case (RR 25.2; 95% CI 14-45), being female (RR 2.5; 95% CI 1.0-6.0) and two-person shared bathroom (RR 2.6; 95% CI 1.1-6.4).
Interpretation: We identified high rates of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Public Health control measures can mitigate spread but virus re-introduction from asymptomatic individuals remains a risk. Most seropositive individuals had neutralising antibodies and infectious virus was not recovered from anyone with neutralising antibodies.