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Volume 31, Number 8—August 2025

Synopsis

Surveillance of Viral Respiratory Infections within Maximum-Security Prison, Australia

Nicolas M. LegrandComments to Author , 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
Author affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (N.M. Legrand, R.A. Bull, B. Hajarizadeh, A.R. Lloyd, G.J. Dore, J. Kaldor, M. Martinello); St Vincent’s Correctional Health, Sydney (K. Johnston, K. Issa); New South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney (C. Harvey); New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney (A. Arnott, D.E. Dwyer, V. Sintchenko); University of Sydney, Sydney (D.E. Dwyer, V. Sintchenko); Corrective Services New South Wales, Sydney (L. Grant).

Main Article

Table 2

Incidence rate of and factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in incarcerated persons in maximum-security prison, Australia, 2021*

Characteristics No. infections Follow-up time, person-years Infection incidence/100 person-years (95% CI)† Unadjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) Adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)
Overall
 160†
 131
 121 (104–142)
 0.98 (0.97–1.0)
 0.99 (0.97–1.01)
Living unit
General units 70 87 80 (63–102) Referent Referent
Quarantine units
 90
 44
 202 (165–249)
 2.43 (1.77–3.34)
 1.90 (1.39–2.59)
Vaccination status
Unvaccinated 102 56 183 (151–223) Referent Referent
First dose 45 47 95 (71–128) 0.67 (0.45–0.98) 0.84 (0.59–1.19)
Second dose
 13
 28
 45 (26–78)
 0.43 (0.24–0·77)
 0.46 (0.27–0.79)
Cellmate exposure status
No cellmate 18 35 51 (33–82) Referent Referent
NAT-negative cellmate 95 94 101 (83–124) 1.78 (1.07–2.95) 1.84 (1.11–3.05)
NAT-positive cellmate 47 2 1,888 (1,418–2,153) 21.74 (12.9–36.72) 18.87 (10.99–32.37)

*NAT, nucleic acid testing. †Infection incidence analyses included 160 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection among incarcerated persons; 9 cases were excluded because of positive test on prison entry (n = 4) or after transfer or release into the community (n = 5).

Main Article

Page created: June 13, 2025
Page updated: July 16, 2025
Page reviewed: July 16, 2025
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