Multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2 in a University Outbreak After Spring Break — Chicago, Illinois, March–May 2021

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Doyle, Kate ; Teran, Richard A. ; Reefhuis, Jennita ; Kerins, Janna L. ; Qiu, Xueting ; Green, Stefan J. ; Choi, Hyeree ; Madni, Sabrina A. ; Kamal, Nazia ; Landon, Emily ; Albert, Reynald Christopher ; Pacilli, Massimo ; Furtado, Laura E. ; Hayden, Mary K. ; Kunstman, Kevin J. ; Bethel, Cindy ; Megger, Lauren ; Fricchione, Marielle J. ; Ghinai, Isaac
• Description:
  To prevent Transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that causes COVID-19, colleges and universities have implemented multiple strategies including tTesting, isolation, quarantine, contact tracing, masking, and vaccination. In April 2021, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) was notified of a large cluster of students with COVID-19 at an urban university after spring break. A total of 158 cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed among undergraduate students during March 15-May 3, 2021; the majority (114; 72.2%) lived in on-campus dormitories. CDPH evaluated the role of travel and social connections, as well as the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 Variantss, on Transmission. Among 140 infected students who were interviewed, 89 (63.6%) reported recent travel outside Chicago during spring break, and 57 (40.7%) reported indoor social exposures. At the time of the outbreak, undergraduate-aged persons were largely ineligible for vaccination in Chicago; only three of the students with COVID-19 (1.9%) were fully vaccinated. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 104 specimens revealed multiple distinct SARS-CoV-2 lineages, suggTesting several nearly simultaneous introductions. Most specimens (66; 63.5%) were B.1.1.222, a lineage not widely detected in Chicago before or after this outbreak. These results demonstrate the potential for COVID-19 outbreaks on university campuses after widespread student travel during breaks, at the beginning of new school terms, and when students participate in indoor social gatherings. To prevent SARS-CoV-2 Transmission, colleges and universities should encourage COVID-19 vaccination; discourage unvaccinated students from travel, including during university breaks; implement serial COVID-19 screening among unvaccinated persons after university breaks; encourage masking; and implement universal serial tTesting for students based on community Transmission levels.
• Subjects:
  CoronaVirus Infections COVID-19 COVID-19 Testing COVID-19 Vaccines Disease Outbreaks Female Humans Male SARS-CoV-2 Social Interaction Students Travel-Related Illness Universities Young Adult

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• Source:
  MMWR Morbidity Mortal Weekly Rep. 70(35):1195-1200
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/MMWRmm7035a3
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Pubmed ID:
  34473687
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC8422867
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago, IL
• Pages in Document:
  6 pdf pages
• Volume:
  70
• Issue:
  35
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:55ba36ce3d19474aafc344f1bccfc54bf3b81702aa8be05af628d0181b7f8e2abe5ebbe0948f6456dfcf8d1d79b4b4e29379e84c9cc8b550701fe63c1ce08326
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/110230/cdc_110230_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 155.52 KB ]