Contact tracing reveals community transmission of COVID-19 in New York City

Sen Pei (), Sasikiran Kandula, Jaime Cascante Vega, Wan Yang, Steffen Foerster, Corinne Thompson, Jennifer Baumgartner, Shama Desai Ahuja, Kathleen Blaney, Jay K. Varma, Theodore Long and Jeffrey Shaman
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Sen Pei: Columbia University
Sasikiran Kandula: Columbia University
Jaime Cascante Vega: Columbia University
Wan Yang: Columbia University
Steffen Foerster: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
Corinne Thompson: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
Jennifer Baumgartner: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
Shama Desai Ahuja: Columbia University
Kathleen Blaney: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
Jay K. Varma: Weill Cornell Medical College
Theodore Long: NYC Health + Hospitals
Jeffrey Shaman: Columbia University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Understanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission within and among communities is critical for tailoring public health policies to local context. However, analysis of community transmission is challenging due to a lack of high-resolution surveillance and testing data. Here, using contact tracing records for 644,029 cases and their contacts in New York City during the second pandemic wave, we provide a detailed characterization of the operational performance of contact tracing and reconstruct exposure and transmission networks at individual and ZIP code scales. We find considerable heterogeneity in reported close contacts and secondary infections and evidence of extensive transmission across ZIP code areas. Our analysis reveals the spatial pattern of SARS-CoV-2 spread and communities that are tightly interconnected by exposure and transmission. We find that locations with higher vaccination coverage and lower numbers of visitors to points-of-interest had reduced within- and cross-ZIP code transmission events, highlighting potential measures for curtailing SARS-CoV-2 spread in urban settings.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34130-x

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