Rationale for antiepidemic measures aimed to prevent focal incidence of COVID-19 in dormitories (on the example of Moscow)

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many infection foci were registered in dormitories. Therefore, it is critical to have a clear understanding of the effectiveness of antiepidemic measures (AEMs) that appear to be one of the most important method to prevent the spread of the virus. Objective. To provide a scientific rationale for AEMs used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in dormitories. Materials and methods. We compared the epidemic process in 5 representative COVID-19 foci, depending on AEMs initiated at these foci. The t-test was used to check the statistical hypothesis (p ≤ 0.05). Results. The epidemiological analysis demonstrated that the severity of COVID-19 epidemic process correlated with the effectiveness of AEMs. Absence of AEMs during focus formation promoted rapid spread of the virus among residents on all floors of the dormitory. The epidemic process in these dormitories was characterized by a chronic course with a high incidence rate. The implementation of a complex of AEMs when first COVID-19 cases were registered prevented the formation of a large infection focus and facilitated its timely isolation. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that AEMs are the main measures to limit focal incidence of COVID-19 in the dormitories of Moscow. Key words: infection focus, dormitory, antiepidemic measures, COVID-19