Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

January 11, 2021

Optimal COVID-19 Quarantine and Testing Strategies

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A mathematical model developed to quantify the probability of post-quarantine transmission in the context of travel found that SARS-CoV-2 testing on exit could reduce the duration of a 14-day quarantine by 50%, while testing on entry shortened quarantine by at most one day. The authors tested this approach in a real-world scenario involving offshore oil rig employees and found 47 positive cases were identified with testing on entry and exit to quarantine, among whom 16 had tested negative at entry, preventing an estimated nine transmission events.

Wells et al. (Jan 7, 2021). Optimal COVID-19 Quarantine and Testing Strategies. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20742-8