SARS-CoV-2 Infections among Crew Members Onboard Passenger-Voyaging Cruise Ships during a Period of Delta Variant Predominance-United States, June- October 2021
Received Date: Oct 18, 2022 / Published Date: Apr 13, 2023
Abstract
Objective: Following suspension of cruising due to the COVID-19 pandemic, passenger voyaging operations resumed in June 2021 when cruise lines, with assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), implemented protocols to manage COVID-19. We describe demographic characteristics, time since vaccination and living and working conditions of crew members testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 following resumption of passenger operations in the US during a period of Delta variant predominance.
Methods: Ships sailing under CDC’s framework for conditional sailing order reported SARS-CoV-2 test results, vaccination rates and hospitalizations/medical evacuations due to SARS-CoV-2 infection to CDC daily. Ships experiencing large outbreaks (≥ 20 SARS-CoV-2–positive cases among crew/passengers within 14 days) submitted additional case data (e.g. demographics, vaccination history, living/working quarters and numbers of crew members who were close contacts of cases).
Results: During June-October 2021, 1,079 SARS-CoV-2 positive crew members were reported to CDC; 402 cases from large outbreaks had case level data and were included in this analysis. All cases completed a primary vaccine series before they were infected. Median number of days from last vaccination to infection was 76 days (Interquartile Range (IQR): 53-98). Most crew received the Janssen vaccine (n=302; 76%) and Janssen recipients had lower median number of days from last vaccination to infection than recipients of vaccines from other manufacturers (75 days (IQR: 55-87) vs. 86 days (IQR: 46-125; p=0.03)). No hospitalizations or medical evacuations for SARS-CoV-2 were reported; 263 cases (65%) were asymptomatic at time of testing. Forty percent of cases shared either a cabin or restroom with another crew member at time of diagnosis.
Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported among vaccinated crew member’s onboard passenger voyaging ships although severe illness was rare. Enhancements to existing COVID-19 mitigation measures and facilitating booster vaccination, ensuring vaccinations are up to date, may reduce the risk of infections in such congregate settings.
Keywords: COVID-19; CDC; Vaccination; Janssen vaccine; Medical evacuations
Citation: Oraka E, Moritz ED, Louis MJ, Scott S, White S, et al. (2023) SARSCoV- 2 Infections among Crew Members Onboard Passenger-Voyaging Cruise Ships during a Period of Delta Variant Predominance–United States, June– October 2021. Occup Med Health 11: 462 Doi: 10.4172/2329-6879.1000462
Copyright: © 2023 Oraka E, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Share This Article
Recommended Journals
黑料网 Journals
Article Tools
Article Usage
- Total views: 895
- [From(publication date): 0-2023 - Nov 22, 2024]
- Breakdown by view type
- HTML page views: 766
- PDF downloads: 129
