Spring break trip results in 64 COVID-19 cases among travelers, contacts of travelers
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A college spring break trip to Mexico from March 14 to 19 resulted in 64 cases of COVID-19, according to data published in MMWR Report.
The 64 cases included 60 among 183 people traveling for vacation, one among 13 household contacts and three among 35 community contacts. Researchers say that a prompt epidemiologic investigation with effective contact tracing contributed to outbreak control.
On March 27, 2020, a University of Texas at Austin student who reported a cough, sore throat and shortness of breath had a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. By March 28, test results came back positive for two more symptomatic students, alerting the COVID-19 Center at the University of Texas Health Austin to a potential outbreak; the center began an outbreak investigation the same day, according to the report.
Megan Lewis, of the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School, and colleagues learned that all three students had traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, between March 14 and 19 for a spring break trip and developed symptoms between March 22 and 25, after returning home. A contact tracing team was established on March 28 and began tracing and monitoring the University of Texas community.
Travelers and contacts of travelers with a positive COVID-19 test result were grouped into one of three categories: Cabo San Lucas travelers, household contacts or community contacts. By March 30, nine of the first 19 travelers and contacts tested had a positive test result. Approximately one half of persons identified and tested had a positive result within 2 days of the investigation starting, which resulted in testing criteria being widened to include any traveler to Cabo San Lucas, regardless of symptom status. However, only symptomatic contacts continued to qualify for testing.
Lewis and colleagues interview 289 of the 298 people (97%) identified during the investigation. Of the 231 (80%) persons ultimately tested for COVID-19, 183 (79%) were Cabo San Lucas travelers and 48 (21%) were contacts of travelers with diagnosed COVID-19, including 13 household contacts (6%) and 35 community contacts (15%).
Overall, 64 persons (28%) had a positive test result, including 60 of 183 Cabo San Lucas travelers (33%), one of 13 household contacts (8%) and three of 35 community contacts (9%). Persons for whom testing was done reported a median of four contacts (range = 0-15). Among the 64 persons with positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse-transcription PCR test results, 14 (22%) were asymptomatic and 50 (78%) were symptomatic when testing was performed.
According to the study results, no one was hospitalized and no one died.
“A coordinated response with contact tracing and testing of all contacts, including those who are asymptomatic, is important in controlling future COVID-19 outbreaks that might occur as schools and universities consider reopening,” the researchers wrote.
CDC Director Robert Redfield echoed the importance of contact tracing during congressional testimony on Tuesday, according to The Hill. He said that although the number of contact tracers has increased from approximately 6,000 in January to around 28,000 as of early June, the country needs around 100,000 total.
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