[ad_1]
A new report has detailed how 59 people became infected with Covid-19 associated with a flight to Ireland during the summer.
The study, published by the European scientific journal Eurosurveillance in cooperation with the Executive of the Health Service, said that it demonstrates how in-flight transmission of the virus can occur.
The outbreak was related to a 7.5-hour flight from the Middle East to Ireland, which only had 49 of the 283 seats occupied, 17% of capacity.
Subsequently, thirteen people who were on board the plane were diagnosed with coronavirus.
Most of them had traveled together in small groups, but they were sitting in different areas of the plane.
The first of the cases was detected after two of the passengers showed symptoms 48 hours after arriving in Ireland.
Subsequently, 11 other passengers were diagnosed with the virus, but the study said that “the original case is unknown.”
The age of the 13 flight cases ranged from one to 65 and at least nine of the passengers involved wore masks.
As a result of the positive tests, passengers who were considered close contacts and defined as two seats in all directions of the cases were also examined.
The report said 15 passengers returned results that did not detect the virus, one passenger refused to be tested while 11 other passengers were not contactable.
And following a risk assessment, the 12 crew members on board were advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Some of the 13 infected passengers passed Covid-19 to 46 other people, with whom they were subsequently in contact after their flight.
One of the passengers involved transmitted the virus to three members of his household, one of whom passed it on to 25 others while staying in what was described as “shared accommodation.”
In total, 59 cases were linked to the flight.
Four of the people were hospitalized and one of them was admitted to an intensive care unit.
The report said that “the last case of the entire outbreak occurred 17 days after the flight.”
Eurosurveillance said: “Air travel has accelerated the global pandemic, contributing to the spread of the coronavirus disease” and the authors said that this outbreak “demonstrates transmission in flight.”
He said: “This study is one of the few so far demonstrating in-flight transmission of SARS-CoV-2 with extensive transmission thereafter. The in-flight propagation patterns deserve further study.”
It also concluded that “rapid contact tracing can limit spread” and that it “requires rapid acquisition of the flight manifest.”
However, Eurosurveillance said: “The contact details in the airline manifests may be deficient. In this outbreak, 11 passengers on the flight could not be contacted and consequently were not tested.”
[ad_2]