Suppression of a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in the Italian municipality of Vo’

Enrico Lavezzo, Elisa Franchin, Constanze Ciavarella, Gina Cuomo-Dannenburg, Luisa Barzon, Claudia Del Vecchio, Lucia Rossi, Riccardo Manganelli, Arianna Loregian, Nicolò Navarin, Davide Abate, Manuela Sciro, Stefano Merigliano, Ettore De Canale, Maria Cristina Vanuzzo, Valeria Besutti, Francesca Saluzzo, Francesco Onelia, Monia Pacenti, Saverio G. Parisi, Giovanni Carretta, Daniele Donato, Luciano Flor, Silvia Cocchio, Giulia Masi, Alessandro Sperduti, Lorenzo Cattarino, Renato Salvador, Michele Nicoletti, Federico Caldart, Gioele Castelli, Eleonora Nieddu, Beatrice Labella, Ludovico Fava, Matteo Drigo, Katy A. M. Gaythorpe, Alessandra R. Brazzale, Stefano Toppo, Marta Trevisan, Vincenzo Baldo, Christl A. Donnelly, Neil M. Ferguson, Ilaria Dorigatti () and Andrea Crisanti ()
Additional contact information
Enrico Lavezzo: University of Padova
Elisa Franchin: University of Padova
Constanze Ciavarella: Imperial College London
Gina Cuomo-Dannenburg: Imperial College London
Luisa Barzon: University of Padova
Claudia Del Vecchio: University of Padova
Lucia Rossi: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Riccardo Manganelli: University of Padova
Arianna Loregian: University of Padova
Nicolò Navarin: University of Padova
Davide Abate: University of Padova
Manuela Sciro: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Stefano Merigliano: University of Padova
Ettore De Canale: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Maria Cristina Vanuzzo: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Valeria Besutti: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Francesca Saluzzo: University of Padova
Francesco Onelia: University of Padova
Monia Pacenti: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Saverio G. Parisi: University of Padova
Giovanni Carretta: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Daniele Donato: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Luciano Flor: Azienda Ospedale Padova
Silvia Cocchio: University of Padova
Giulia Masi: University of Padova
Alessandro Sperduti: University of Padova
Lorenzo Cattarino: Imperial College London
Renato Salvador: University of Padova
Michele Nicoletti: University of Padova
Federico Caldart: University of Padova
Gioele Castelli: University of Padova
Eleonora Nieddu: University of Padova
Beatrice Labella: University of Padova
Ludovico Fava: University of Padova
Matteo Drigo: University of Padova
Katy A. M. Gaythorpe: Imperial College London
Alessandra R. Brazzale: University of Padova
Stefano Toppo: University of Padova
Marta Trevisan: University of Padova
Vincenzo Baldo: University of Padova
Christl A. Donnelly: Imperial College London
Neil M. Ferguson: Imperial College London
Ilaria Dorigatti: Imperial College London
Andrea Crisanti: University of Padova

Nature, 2020, vol. 584, issue 7821, 425-429

Abstract: Abstract On 21 February 2020, a resident of the municipality of Vo’, a small town near Padua (Italy), died of pneumonia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection1. This was the first coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)-related death detected in Italy since the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hubei province2. In response, the regional authorities imposed the lockdown of the whole municipality for 14 days3. Here we collected information on the demography, clinical presentation, hospitalization, contact network and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in nasopharyngeal swabs for 85.9% and 71.5% of the population of Vo’ at two consecutive time points. From the first survey, which was conducted around the time the town lockdown started, we found a prevalence of infection of 2.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1–3.3%). From the second survey, which was conducted at the end of the lockdown, we found a prevalence of 1.2% (95% CI: 0.8–1.8%). Notably, 42.5% (95% CI: 31.5–54.6%) of the confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections detected across the two surveys were asymptomatic (that is, did not have symptoms at the time of swab testing and did not develop symptoms afterwards). The mean serial interval was 7.2 days (95% CI: 5.9–9.6). We found no statistically significant difference in the viral load of symptomatic versus asymptomatic infections (P = 0.62 and 0.74 for E and RdRp genes, respectively, exact Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test). This study sheds light on the frequency of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, their infectivity (as measured by the viral load) and provides insights into its transmission dynamics and the efficacy of the implemented control measures.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2488-1

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