Linking contact tracing with genomic surveillance to deconvolute SARS-CoV-2 transmission on a university campus
Jacquelyn Turcinovic,
Kayla Kuhfeldt,
Madison Sullivan,
Lena Landaverde,
Judy T. Platt,
Lynn Doucette-Stamm,
William P. Hanage,
Davidson H. Hamer,
Catherine Klapperich,
Hannah E. Landsberg,
John H. Connor
Affiliations
Jacquelyn Turcinovic
Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Kayla Kuhfeldt
Student Health Services, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Madison Sullivan
Student Health Services, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Lena Landaverde
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Precision Diagnostics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; BU Clinical Testing Laboratory, Research Department, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Judy T. Platt
Student Health Services, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Lynn Doucette-Stamm
BU Clinical Testing Laboratory, Research Department, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
William P. Hanage
Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Davidson H. Hamer
National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Precision Diagnostics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Policy and Research, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Catherine Klapperich
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Precision Diagnostics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Hannah E. Landsberg
Student Health Services, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
John H. Connor
Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Policy and Research, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: Contact tracing and genomic data, approaches often used separately, have both been important tools in understanding the nature of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Linked analysis of contact tracing and sequence relatedness of SARS-CoV-2 genomes from a regularly sampled university environment were used to build a multilevel transmission tracing and confirmation system to monitor and understand transmission on campus. Our investigation of an 18-person cluster stemming from an athletic team highlighted the importance of linking contact tracing and genomic analysis. Through these findings, it is suggestive that certain safety protocols in the athletic practice setting reduced transmission. The linking of traditional contact tracing with rapid-return genomic information is an effective approach for differentiating between multiple plausible transmission scenarios and informing subsequent public health protocols to limit disease spread in a university environment.
