An Investigation of a Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Cluster from Saudi Arabia, in a State Quarantine, Chonburi, Thailand, 2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59096/osir.v14i4.262512Keywords:
COVID-19, state quarantine, Thailand, Saudi ArabiaAbstract
On 7 Aug 2020, the Department of Disease Control, the Thai Ministry of Public Health, was notified of 14 COVID-19 cases from Saudi Arabia. The objectives of this study were to verify diagnosis, describe characteristics of the cases and identify possible causes of infection. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by reviewing the cases’ medical records, interviewing the cases and state quarantine staff, and surveying the environment. A confirmed COVID-19 case was defined as a passenger in a flight from Saudi Arabia on 25 Jul 2020 with positive RT-PCR. Out of 219, 14 were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Most of them were Thai students in Saudi Arabia. The median age of cases was 26 years and male to female ratio was 13:1. The median RT-PCR cycle thresholds for ORF1ab and N genes were 36 and 35. The state quarantine process mainly followed the national guidelines. These cases were likely to have contracted COVID-19 from Saudi Arabia. The risks of infection in Saudi Arabia included living together in the same dormitory and visiting crowded areas. The introduction of state quarantine and COVID-19 testing worked well in preventing new cases. The government should communicate with people planning to travel about the importance of physical distancing and avoiding any risk behaviors while being abroad.
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