TY - JOUR
T1 - Super-spreaders of novel coronaviruses that cause SARS, MERS and COVID-19: A systematic review
AU - Brainard, Julii
AU - Jones, Natalia R.
AU - Harrison, Florence C. D.
AU - Hammer, Charlotte C.
AU - Lake, Iain R.
N1 - Funding Information: This study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Emergency Preparedness and Response at King’s College London in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency (UK HSA) and collaboration with the University of East Anglia.
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Purpose: Most index cases with novel coronavirus infections transmit disease to just one or two other individuals, but some individuals “super-spread”—they infect many secondary cases. Understanding common factors that super-spreaders may share could inform outbreak models, and be used to guide contact tracing during outbreaks. Methods: We searched in MEDLINE, Scopus, and preprints to identify studies about people documented as transmitting pathogens that cause SARS, MERS, or COVID-19 to at least nine other people. We extracted data to describe them by age, sex, location, occupation, activities, symptom severity, any underlying conditions, disease outcome and undertook quality assessment for outbreaks published by June 2021. Results: The most typical super-spreader was a male age 40+. Most SARS or MERS super-spreaders were very symptomatic, the super-spreading occurred in hospital settings and frequently the individual died. In contrast, COVID-19 super-spreaders often had very mild disease and most COVID-19 super-spreading happened in community settings. Conclusions: SARS and MERS super-spreaders were often symptomatic, middle- or older-age adults who had a high mortality rate. In contrast, COVID-19 super-spreaders tended to have mild disease and were any adult age. More outbreak reports should be published with anonymized but useful demographic information to improve understanding of super-spreading, super-spreaders, and the settings in which super-spreading happens.
AB - Purpose: Most index cases with novel coronavirus infections transmit disease to just one or two other individuals, but some individuals “super-spread”—they infect many secondary cases. Understanding common factors that super-spreaders may share could inform outbreak models, and be used to guide contact tracing during outbreaks. Methods: We searched in MEDLINE, Scopus, and preprints to identify studies about people documented as transmitting pathogens that cause SARS, MERS, or COVID-19 to at least nine other people. We extracted data to describe them by age, sex, location, occupation, activities, symptom severity, any underlying conditions, disease outcome and undertook quality assessment for outbreaks published by June 2021. Results: The most typical super-spreader was a male age 40+. Most SARS or MERS super-spreaders were very symptomatic, the super-spreading occurred in hospital settings and frequently the individual died. In contrast, COVID-19 super-spreaders often had very mild disease and most COVID-19 super-spreading happened in community settings. Conclusions: SARS and MERS super-spreaders were often symptomatic, middle- or older-age adults who had a high mortality rate. In contrast, COVID-19 super-spreaders tended to have mild disease and were any adult age. More outbreak reports should be published with anonymized but useful demographic information to improve understanding of super-spreading, super-spreaders, and the settings in which super-spreading happens.
KW - Coronavirus
KW - super-spreading
KW - heterogeneity of transmission
KW - index cases
KW - Heterogeneity of transmission
KW - Index cases
KW - Super-spreading
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153586066&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.03.009
DO - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.03.009
M3 - Review article
VL - 82
SP - 66-76.e6
JO - Annals of Epidemiology
JF - Annals of Epidemiology
SN - 1047-2797
ER -