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Volume 31, Number 8—August 2025
Synopsis
Surveillance of Viral Respiratory Infections within Maximum-Security Prison, Australia
Nicolas M. Legrand
, Rowena A. Bull, Behzad Hajarizadeh, Andrew R. Lloyd, Kirsty Johnston, Katya Issa, Christine Harvey, Alicia Arnott, Dominic E. Dwyer, Vitali Sintchenko, Luke Grant, Gregory J. Dore, John Kaldor, and Marianne Martinello
, Rowena A. Bull, Behzad Hajarizadeh, Andrew R. Lloyd, Kirsty Johnston, Katya Issa, Christine Harvey, Alicia Arnott, Dominic E. Dwyer, Vitali Sintchenko, Luke Grant, Gregory J. Dore, John Kaldor, and Marianne Martinello
Table 1
Demographic and clinical characteristics of incarcerated persons with SARS-CoV-2 in maximum-security prison, Australia, 2021*
| Case characteristics | Value, n = 169 |
|---|---|
| Age group | |
| 18–29 | 65 (38) |
| 30–39 | 62 (36) |
| 40–49 | 26 (17) |
| 50–59 | 13 (8) |
| >60 |
3 (2) |
| Likely source of infection acquisition | |
| Prison | 153 (92) |
| Community |
16 (8) |
| Housing location | |
| General unit | 69 (41) |
| Quarantine unit |
100 (59) |
| Cellmate placement in 14 days before date of infection | |
| Housed alone | 20 (12) |
| Housed with COVID-19 positive cellmate | 47 (28) |
| Housed with COVID-19 negative cellmate |
102 (60) |
| Duration of incarceration before diagnosis, d | |
| Median (IQR) | 47 (19–100) |
| Range |
0–804 |
| SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status at time of diagnosis | |
| 2 doses, >2 weeks after second dose | 8 (5) |
| 2 doses, <2 weeks after second dose | 5 (3) |
| 1 dose | 45 (27) |
| 0 doses |
111 (66) |
| Disease severity | |
| Asymptomatic | 43 (25) |
| Mild | 114 (68) |
| Moderate | 7 (4) |
| Severe | 1 (1) |
| Unknown |
4 (2) |
| Symptomatic at diagnosis | 62 (37) |
| Symptomatic ever |
122 (72) |
| Reason for testing | |
| Mass testing schedule | 140 (83) |
| Entry screening | 7 (4) |
| Quarantine screening | 18 (11) |
| Symptom driven, close contact, or both |
4 (2) |
| SARS-CoV-2 Delta subvariant | |
| 130 | 35 (21) |
| 130.18 | 11 (7) |
| 130.34 | 65 (38) |
| 130.74 | 17 (10) |
| Missing | 41 (24) |
*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. IQR, interquartile range.
Page created: June 13, 2025
Page updated: July 16, 2025
Page reviewed: July 16, 2025
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