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Infection and disease spectrum in individuals with household exposure to SARS‐CoV‐2: A family cluster cohort study
Author(s) -
Xie Wen,
Chen Zhihai,
Wang Qi,
Song Meihua,
Cao Ying,
Wang Lin,
Pan Calvin Q.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.26847
Subject(s) - asymptomatic , medicine , transmission (telecommunications) , case fatality rate , pneumonia , cohort , cohort study , coronavirus , cluster (spacecraft) , covid-19 , retrospective cohort study , disease , pediatrics , epidemiology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , electrical engineering , computer science , engineering , programming language
We primarily quantified exposure patterns, transmission characteristics, and the clinical spectrum of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection among household contacts of individuals with severe coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 20 index patients hospitalized with severe COVID‐19 and 79 of their household contacts. We determined the transmission frequency, range of manifestations of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and factors associated with infection in household settings. Of the 79 household contacts, 53 (67%) developed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (49 [62%] symptomatic, 4 [5%] asymptomatic). Eight patients (10%) developed severe COVID‐19, and one died of COVID‐19 pneumonia (case‐fatality rate: 1.9%). The probability of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was similar in children and adults (55% vs. 72%, p = .14), with children being less likely to develop the symptomatic disease (46% vs. 68%, p = .06). Handwashing ≥ 5 times/day was associated with reduced infection risk (52.8% vs. 76.9%, p = .04). SARS‐CoV‐2 has a high frequency of transmission among household contacts. Nonhospitalized individuals with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection should be quarantined in patient care facilities rather than at home to minimize spread, if possible, and frequent handwashing should be practiced to prevent transmission.