ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Europe2021
SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk from asymptomatic carriers: Results from a mass screening programme in Luxembourg.
Article in The Lancet regional health. Europe, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Impact of disease severity, age, sex, comorbidity, and vaccination on secondary attack rates of SARS-CoV-2: a global systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- The role of routine SARS-CoV-2 screening of healthcare-workers in acute care hospitals in 2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2022Pooled it
- Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during a large, live, indoor gathering (SPRING): a non-inferiority, randomised, controlled trial.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2022Trial
- Uptake, Acceptability, and Results of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Testing in Community Settings in Cameroon.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Article
- Harnessing multi-output machine learning approach and dynamical observables from network structure to optimize COVID-19 intervention strategies.Biology methods & protocols · 2025Article
- SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes among non-clinical-related service providers in a national healthcare system.Global epidemiology · 2024Article
- Impact of the 2022 African Cup of Nations mass-gathering event on the COVID-19 epidemic in Garoua, Cameroon.Journal of public health (Oxford, England) · 2024Article
- Development of a long noncoding RNA-based machine learning model to predict COVID-19 in-hospital mortality.Nature communications · 2024Article
- COVID-19 cluster surveillance using exposure data collected from routine contact tracing: The genomic validation of a novel informatics-based approach to outbreak detection in England.PLOS digital health · 2024Article
- [From the practice of monitoring SARS-CoV-2 test sites in the city of Cologne].Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Arzte des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)) · 2024Article
- Human Challenge Studies with Coronaviruses Old and New.Current topics in microbiology and immunology · 2024Review
- Clinical evaluation of a web-based personalized recommendation system with electronic health record interface to optimize healthcare resources during SARS-CoV-2 surges.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Attaching protein-adsorbing silica particles to the surface of cotton substrates for bioaerosol capture including SARS-CoV-2.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Genomic epidemiology offers high resolution estimates of serial intervals for COVID-19.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Understanding the challenges to COVID-19 vaccines and treatment options, herd immunity and probability of reinfection.Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences · 2023Review
- Low impact of regular PCR testing on presence at work site during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences during an open observational study in Lower Saxony 2020-21.BMC public health · 2023Observational
- Mobile SARS‑CoV‑2 screening facilities for rapid deployment and university-based diagnostic laboratory.Engineering in life sciences · 2023Article
- The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on healthcare workers of a large University Hospital in the Veneto Region: risk of infection and clinical presentation in relation to different pandemic phases and some relevant determinants.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
- Multicenter Diagnostic Evaluation of a Novel Coronavirus Antigen Lateral Flow Test among Symptomatic Individuals in Brazil and the United Kingdom.Microbiology spectrum · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo accompany the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown measures, Luxembourg implemented a mass screening (MS) programme. The first phase coincided with an early summer epidemic wave in 2020.
methodsrRT-PCR-based screening for SARS-CoV-2 was performed by pooling of samples. The infrastructure allowed the testing of the entire resident and cross-border worker populations. The strategy relied on social connectivity within different activity sectors. Invitation frequencies were tactically increased in sectors and regions with higher prevalence. The results were analysed alongside contact tracing data.
findingsThe voluntary programme covered 49% of the resident and 22% of the cross-border worker populations. It identified 850 index cases with an additional 249 cases from contact tracing. Over-representation was observed in the services, hospitality and construction sectors alongside regional differences. Asymptomatic cases had a significant but lower secondary attack rate when compared to symptomatic individuals. Based on simulations using an agent-based SEIR model, the total number of expected cases would have been 42·9% (90% CI [-0·3, 96·7]) higher without MS. Mandatory participation would have resulted in a further difference of 39·7% [19·6, 59·2].
interpretationStrategic and tactical MS allows the suppression of epidemic dynamics. Asymptomatic carriers represent a significant risk for transmission. Containment of future outbreaks will depend on early testing in sectors and regions. Higher participation rates must be assured through targeted incentivisation and recurrent invitation.
fundingThis project was funded by the Luxembourg Ministries of Higher Education and Research, and Health.
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