scholarly journals Documenting elimination of co-circulating COVID-19 clusters using genomics in New South Wales, Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Arnott ◽  
Jenny Draper ◽  
Rebecca J. Rockett ◽  
Connie Lam ◽  
Rosemarie Sadsad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Health Action ◽  
Genomic Clusters ◽  
Clear Information ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objective To adapt ‘fishplots’ to describe real-time evolution of SARS-CoV-2 genomic clusters. Results This novel analysis adapted the fishplot to depict the size and duration of circulating genomic clusters over time in New South Wales, Australia. It illuminated the effectiveness of interventions on the emergence, spread and eventual elimination of clusters and distilled genomic data into clear information to inform public health action.

scholarly journals Documenting Elimination of Co-Circulating Covid-19 Clusters Using Genomics in New South Wales, Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Arnott ◽  
Jenny Draper ◽  
Rebecca J Rockett ◽  
Connie Lam ◽  
Rosemarie Sadsad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Cluster Evolution ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Health Action ◽  
Genomic Clusters ◽  
Genomic Cluster ◽  
Clear Information ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objective: To adapt ‘fishplots’ to describe SARS-CoV-2 genomic cluster evolution. Results: This novel analysis adapted the fishplot to depict the size and duration of circulating genomic clusters over time in New South Wales, Australia. It illuminated the effectiveness of interventions on the emergence, spread and eventual elimination of clusters and distilled genomic data into clear information to inform public health action.

scholarly journals Revealing COVID-19 Transmission by SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing and Agent Based Modelling

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J Rockett ◽  
Alicia Arnott ◽  
Connie Lam ◽  
Rosemarie Sadsad ◽  
Verlaine Timms ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
New South ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Health Action ◽  
Community Transmission

ABSTRACTCommunity transmission of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is a major public health concern that remains difficult to assess. We present a genomic survey of SARS-CoV-2 from a during the first 10 weeks of COVID-19 activity in New South Wales, Australia. Transmission events were monitored prospectively during the critical period of implementation of national control measures. SARS-CoV-2 genomes were sequenced from 209 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 infection between January and March 2020. Only a quarter of cases appeared to be locally acquired and genomic-based estimates of local transmission rates were concordant with predictions from a computational agent-based model. This convergent assessment indicates that genome sequencing provides key information to inform public health action and has improved our understanding of the COVID-19 evolution from outbreak to epidemic.

scholarly journals “No Entry into New South Wales”: COVID-19 and the Historic and Contemporary Trajectories of the Effects of Border Closures on an Australian Cross-Border Community

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Dirk H. R. Spennemann
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
New South ◽  
Community Integration ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
The State ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Border Community ◽  
South Wales

Given its intensity, rapid spread, geographic reach and multiple waves of infections, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020/21 became a major global disruptor with a truly cross-sectoral impact, surpassing even the 1918/19 influenza epidemic. Public health measures designed to contain the spread of the disease saw the cessation of international travel as well as the establishment of border closures between and within countries. The social and economic impact was considerable. This paper examines the effects of the public health measures of “ring-fencing” and of prolonged closures of the state border between New South Wales and Victoria (Australia), placing the events of 2020/21 into the context of the historic and contemporary trajectories of the border between the two states. It shows that while border closures as public-health measures had occurred in the past, their social and economic impact had been comparatively negligible due to low cross-border community integration. Concerted efforts since the mid-1970s have led to effective and close integration of employment and services, with over a quarter of the resident population of the two border towns commuting daily across the state lines. As a result, border closures and state-based lockdown directives caused significant social disruption and considerable economic cost to families and the community as a whole. One of the lessons of the 2020/21 pandemic will be to either re-evaluate the wisdom of a close social and economic integration of border communities, which would be a backwards step, or to future-proof these communities by developing strategies, effectively public health management plans, to avoid a repeat when the next pandemic strikes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document