August 20, 2020

Mass Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in 16 Prisons and Jails — Six Jurisdictions, United States

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

Keywords (Tags): candidate, prisons, testing

The mass testing conducted among incarcerated or detained persons across 16 prisons and jails from 6 US jurisdictions (April 11-May 20, 2020) identified a total of 8,239 persons with SARS-CoV-2 among 16,392 individuals tested, representing a median 12-fold increase over the number of cases in each facility by earlier symptom-based testing. Prevalence in jails and prisons ranged from 0 to 87%, with a median prevalence of 29%. Median prevalence was three times higher in dormitory-based compared to cell-based housing.

Hagan et al. (Aug 21, 2020). Mass Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in 16 Prisons and Jails — Six Jurisdictions, United States, April–May 2020. MMWR. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6933a3