April 5, 2021

Outbreak of COVID-19 and Interventions in a Large Jail — Cook County, IL, United States, 2020

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Transmission

Keywords (Tags): congregate settings, transmission

• From March 1–April 30, 2020, 907 symptomatic and asymptomatic cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were detected among detained persons (n = 628) and staff (n = 279) in a large jail in Chicago, representing an attributable risk of 13%. Of 1,256 detained persons tested for SARS-CoV-2, 628 (50%) were positive, among whom 479 (76%) were symptomatic. Early interventions included enhanced cleaning and disinfection, eliminating aerosol-generating procedures, provision of hand hygiene supplies and education, and training staff on personal protective equipment use. Cases declined among detained persons and staff after implementation of interventions, while cases continued to climb in the surrounding community.

Zawitz et al. (Apr 2021). Outbreak of COVID-19 and Interventions in a Large Jail — Cook County, IL, United States, 2020. American Journal of Infection Control. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2021.03.020