COVID-19 Outbreak Among College Students After a Spring Break Trip to Mexico — Austin, Texas, March 26–April 5, 2020

Details

• Personal Author:
  Lewis, Megan ; Sanchez, Ruth ; Auerbach, Sarah ; Nam, Dolly ; Lanier, Brennan ; Taylor, Jeffrey ; Jaso, Cynthia ; Nolan, Kate ; Jacobs, Elizabeth A. ; Hudson, F. Parker ; Bhavnani, Darlene ; Corporate Authors: ; Hess, Kristen L. ; Hu, Sherry ; Zhu, Hong ; Harris, Norma ; Morgan, Marie S.
• Corporate Authors:
  University of Texas at Austin, Texas. Dell Medical School. ; University of Texas Health Sciences Center. School of Public Health at Austin, Texas. ; Austin Public Health (Austin, Texas)
• Description:
  What is already known about this topic?: COVID-19 can cause asymptomatic and mild illness, particularly among young, healthy populations.
  
  What is added by this report?:
  
  Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during and after a college spring break trip (March 14–19) led to 64 cases, including 60 among 183 vacation travelers, one among 13 household contacts, and three among 35 community contacts. Prompt epidemiologic investigation, with effective contact tracing and cooperation between a university and a public health department, contributed to outbreak control.
  
  What are the implications for public health practice?: A coordinated response with contact tracing and tTesting 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.
  
  On March 27, 2020, a University of Texas at Austin student with cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath had a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that causes coronaVirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On March 28, two more symptomatic students had positive test results, alerting the COVID-19 Center at the University of Texas Health Austin (UTHA) to a potential outbreak; the center initiated an outbreak investigation the same day. UTHA conducted contact tracing, which linked the students’ infections to a spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, during March 14–19. Among 231 persons tested for SARS-CoV-2 in this investigation, 64 (28%) had positive test results, including 60 (33%) of 183 Cabo San Lucas travelers, one of 13 (8%) household contacts of Cabo San Lucas travelers, and three (9%) of 35 community contacts of Cabo San Lucas travelers. Approximately one fifth of persons with positive test results were asymptomatic; no persons needed hospitalization, and none died. This COVID-19 outbreak among a young, healthy population with no or mild symptoms was controlled with a coordinated public health response that included rapid contact tracing and tTesting of all exposed persons. A coordinated response with contact tracing and tTesting 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.
  
  Suggested citation for this article: Lewis M, Sanchez R, Auerbach S, et al. COVID-19 Outbreak Among College Students After a Spring Break Trip to Mexico — Austin, Texas, March 26–April 5, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 24 June 2020.
  
  mm6926e1-H.pdf
  
  
• Content Notes:
  Investigation and Results -- Public Health Response -- Discussion -- Acknowledgments.
• Subjects:
  Community-Acquired Infections Contact Tracing CoronaVirus Infections CoronaVirus Infections/Diagnosis COVID-19 Holidays Pandemics Students Travel Universities Young Adults

  More +
• Source:
  MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2020; v. 69 Early Release
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Austin, TX ; Mexico
• Pages in Document:
  6 pdf pages
• Volume:
  69
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ec3d25394d4e9de07b6ce00ac897305576f48edb74a0f1cdc34215cb9b439fb533addbac694084739f098b174c256d2d534d8eca3ee9a839ff83e8d3fafe9a97
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/89733/cdc_89733_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 157.53 KB ]