Mass testing in correctional facilities identifies more than 7,000 COVID-19 cases
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Mass COVID-19 testing among staff and inmates at correctional and detention facilities in the U.S. led to a median 12-fold increase in known cases compared with symptom-based testing alone, according to data published in MMWR.
“Many correctional and detention facilities have used primarily symptom-based testing to identify cases in their populations,” Liesl M. Hagan, MPH, who works for the CDC, told Healio. “As the evidence has accumulated supporting the high prevalence of asymptomatic transmission across all settings, we initiated this data request to determine whether mass testing — testing everyone regardless of symptoms — would find more cases than symptom-based testing in correctional and detention environments. We also wanted to know the extent of transmission in correctional and detention facilities that had identified cases prior to mass testing.”
Source: Hagan LM, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6933a3.
In May 2020, the CDC requested testing and COVID-19 case data from 15 jurisdictions and ultimately received data from 16 facilities, from before and after the implementation of mass testing.
According to the study, all 16 facilities had identified at least one case through symptom-based testing before mass testing was conducted. The first case was reported as a staff member at nine facilities, an inmate at six facilities and in both groups the same day at one facility.
Mass testing, which was implemented in the 16 facilities from April 11 through May 20, revealed a median 12.1-fold increase over the number of cases identified by symptom-based testing alone increasing the total known cases from 642 before mass testing to 8,239 after mass testing.
Study data showed that SARS-CoV-2 prevalence ranged from 1.8% to 45% (median = 14.6%) in cell-based units and 0% to 77.2% (median = 42.6%) in dormitory-based units.
“In correctional and detention facilities, symptom-based testing will underestimate [the] prevalence of SARS-CoV-2,” Hagan said. “Because of difficulties practicing social distancing and other prevention measures in a congregate environment, there is a risk of widespread transmission from symptomatic and asymptomatic people infected with SARS-CoV-2. Mass testing can generate data for action to assist in curbing an outbreak in correctional and detention environments.”
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