August 24, 2020

Asymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on Evacuation Flight. Emerging Infectious Diseases

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Transmission

Keywords (Tags): transmission

• Bae et al. report a single incidence of possible transmission of COVID-19 during an evacuation flight from Italy to South Korea. After airport screening, 299 asymptomatic passengers took an 11-hour flight to South Korea, during which most of them wore N95 respirators at all times. They were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR on days 1 and 14 during their subsequent quarantine period.
• Six passengers tested positive when the plane arrived in South Korea. One patient tested positive on day 14. She reported wearing an N95 mask at all times on the flight except for when she used a toilet. She was seated three rows away from one of the patients who tested positive on day 1 and used the same toilet during the flight.
• All 18 members of the cabin crew and medical staff tested negative at both day 1 and day 14 of quarantine after the flight.

Bae et al. (Nov 2020). Asymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on Evacuation Flight. Emerging Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2611.203353