The Shire has implemented a contact tracing program to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. They estimate that in the last four weeks, they had an average of 6,250 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per week, and recorded 200 total deaths due to COVID-19 in the last two weeks. Contact tracers were able to successfully isolate an average of 4,375 individuals per week with known SARS-CoV-2 infection, on average within 3 days of symptom onset. Sample collection for testing typically occurred the day after symptom onset.
Household contact tracing was very successful: 90% of household contacts were reached and quarantined on the same day that the case was isolated. Community contact tracing was more challenging. Only 35% of community contacts were identified and quarantined, normally 2 days after the case was isolated.
Shire epidemiologists believe that about 0.75% of infected individuals die of COVID-19, and that on average, individuals live with 3 other people and report 2 to 4 contacts outside of the household in the last two weeks.
Use the worksheet to prepare the ConTESSA inputs according to the Shire’s scenario described above. Then enter these inputs into ConTESSA in order to answer quiz questions below.
What percentage of infections in the community were detected (hint: derived from S1 and S2 in ConTESSA)?
Please enter only numerals – the % symbol is not required.