Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39232726›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

Risk factors associated with the intensity of COVID-19 outbreaks in Canadian community settings: a retrospective analysis of outbreak-level surveillance data.

Demy Dam, Michelle Chen, Erin E Rees, Bethany Cheng, Lynn Sukkarieh, Erin McGill, Yasmina Tehami, Anna Bellos, Jonathan Edwin, Kaitlin Patterson

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Demy DamCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada. demy.dam@phac-aspc.gc.ca.
Michelle ChenCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
Erin E ReesPublic Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, J2S 2M2, Canada.
Bethany ChengCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
Lynn SukkariehCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
Erin McGillCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
Yasmina TehamiCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
Anna BellosCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
Jonathan EdwinCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.
Kaitlin PattersonCentre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections and Pandemic Preparedness, Infectious Diseases and Vaccination Programs Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada, 130 Colonnade Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe severity of COVID-19 outbreaks is disproportionate across settings (e.g., long-term care facilities (LTCF), schools) across Canada. Few studies have examined factors associated with outbreak severity to inform prevention and response. Our study objective was to assess how outbreak severity, as measured using outbreak intensity and defined as number of outbreak-associated cases divided by outbreak duration, differed by setting and factors known to influence SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

methodsWe described outbreak intensity trends in 2021 using data from the Canadian COVID-19 Outbreak Surveillance System from seven provinces/territories, representing 93% of the Canadian population. A negative binomial fixed-effects model was used to assess for associations between the outcome, outbreak intensity, and characteristics of outbreaks: setting type, median age of cases, number at risk, and vaccination coverage of at least 1 dose. Also included were variables previously reported to influence SARS-CoV-2 transmission: stringency of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) and the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant detected by surveillance.

resultsThe longest outbreaks occurred in LTCF (mean = 25.4 days) and correctional facilities (mean = 20.6 days) which also reported the largest outbreaks (mean = 29.6 cases per outbreak). Model results indicated that outbreak intensity was highest in correctional facilities. Relative to correctional facilities (referent), the second highest adjusted intensity ratio was in childcare centres (intensity ratio = 0.58 [95% CI: 0.51-0.66]), followed by LTCF (0.56 [95% CI: 0.51-0.66]). Schools had the lowest adjusted intensity ratio (0.46 [95% CI: 0.40-0.53]) despite having the highest proportion of outbreaks (37.5%). An increase in outbreak intensity was associated with increases in median age, the number at risk, and stringency of NPI. Greater vaccination coverage with at least 1 dose was associated with reduced outbreak intensity.

conclusionDescriptive and multivariable model results indicated that in Canada during 2021, outbreak intensity was greatest in closed congregate living facilities: correctional facilities and LTCF. Findings from this study support the importance of vaccination in reducing outbreak intensity when vaccines are effective against infection with circulating variants, which is especially important for closed congregate living facilities where NPIs are more challenging to implement.

Indexed as

COVID-19Disease OutbreaksSARS-CoV-2AdolescentAdultAgedCanadaChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsSchoolsCommunity settingsCOVID-19OutbreakRegression analysis

Identifiers

PMID39232726
PMCPMC11375942

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.