A Practical Approach to SARS-CoV-2 Prevention and Containment in a National Sporting Event in Italy: A Public Health Model Applicable Also to Other Respiratory Viruses?
Roberta De Dona,
Manuela Tamburro,
Carmen Adesso,
Angelo Salzo,
Antonio D’Amico,
Nicandro Samprati,
Arturo Santagata,
Michela Anna Di Palma,
Anna Natale,
Fabio Cannizzaro,
Vittorio Viccione,
Giancarlo Ripabelli
Affiliations
Roberta De Dona
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Manuela Tamburro
Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Carmen Adesso
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Angelo Salzo
Department of Prevention, Molise Regional Health Authority, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Antonio D’Amico
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Nicandro Samprati
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Arturo Santagata
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Michela Anna Di Palma
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Anna Natale
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Fabio Cannizzaro
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Vittorio Viccione
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Giancarlo Ripabelli
School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
The Italian sporting event ‘XIV Convittiadi’ involving students at boarding schools took place in Molise region, central Italy, in April 2022. The study describes the public health protocol with specific countermeasures developed for the event, including testing, isolation, and contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reports the main related findings. There were 590 Italian white participants, with 514 athletes (mean age 13.6 ± 1.6 years) and 76 accompanying teachers/guardians (50 ± 8.7 years) of 21 boarding schools from different Italian regions. During the event, 1281 antigenic swabs were performed, and twelve COVID-19 cases were promptly identified due to active screening, involving ten (83.3%) athletes and two (16.7%) accompanying teachers. Among the infected athletes, 83.3% complained mild symptoms, either before or after the ascertained positivity, and 40% had received primary cycle vaccination and booster, or only completed the primary course. The enhanced surveillance and contact tracing activities allowed identifying 34 participants as close contacts who were subjected to a daily follow-up that revealed only four (11.8%) as infected. Since in mass gathering events public health risk is not clear and could not be available through the traditional surveillance systems, increased monitoring activities are necessary. The practical approach implemented for this event was valuable for SARS-CoV-2 control and case management either among participants, or the host country population, suggesting its application to other airborne communicable diseases.