A super-spreader of SARS-CoV-2 in incubation period among health-care workers
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
A super‑spreader of SARS‑CoV‑2 in incubation period among health‑care workers Chaojie Wei1,3, Yufeng Yuan2 and Zhenshun Cheng1,3*
Abstract Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, it has been characterized as a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). It was reported that asymptomatic persons are potential sources of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We present an outbreak among health-care workers incited by a doctor who cared a patient with COVID-19 in a Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which indicates existence of super-spreader even during incubation period. Keywords: Coronavirus disease 2019, Health-care workers, Super-spreader
To the editor: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China in December 2019, it has been characterized as a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). Person-to-person transmission pattern of COVID-19 is obvious [1, 2]. Moreover, it was reported that asymptomatic persons are potential sources of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection [3]. Here, we present an outbreak among health-care workers incited by a doctor who cared a patient with COVID-19 in Hospital A, in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which indicates existence of super-spreader during incubation period and sustained human-to-human transmission of COVID-19. A 66-year-old woman (patient A1) with a history of cholecystolithiasis presenting right epigastric pain, fever, *Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, No.169 Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
and tenderness in the right upper abdomen was admitted by doctor B to department A for consideration of acute cholecystitis. During preoperative preparation, patient A1 presented progressive dyspnea. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed bilateral wide spread ground-glass opacity at day 6 after admission. Then, realtime reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of a throat swabs has been done and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patient A1 was transferred immediately to isolation ward. Without realization of infectious disease, doctor B didn’t use any personal protectives when provided health care for patient A1. The exposure history was shown in Fig. 1. A multiple disciplinary team meeting (MDT) was hold by department A on the third day after doctor B first exposure to patient A 1. About 40 health-care workers (including doctor B–Q and nurse R) attended the MDT. The MDT lasted for about several hours in a closed meeting room. After the MDT, doctor F conducted a consultation for his patient. Doctor S and T from other two departments communicated with doctor F during the consultation for less than half an hour. Within 10 days, 14 health care workers presented symptoms, such as fever, cough, fatigue, myalgia,
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