Aiming for Zero: Reducing Transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the D.C. Department of Corrections

Mallory E Epting; Jacob A Pluznik; Samantha R Levano; Xinyi Hua; Isaac C H Fung; Beth Jordan; Eleni O'Donovan; Kissa M Robinson; Reena Chakraborty; Bahram Yousefi; Ciara J Michel; Chava J Bowden; Aman Kapadia; Lindsey R Riback; Anil T Mangla; Matthew J Akiyama; Anne C Spaulding

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofab547

Aiming for Zero: Reducing Transmission of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the D.C. Department of Corrections

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Dec 9;8(12):ofab547. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab547. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Mallory E Epting¹, Jacob A Pluznik¹, Samantha R Levano¹, Xinyi Hua², Isaac C H Fung², Beth Jordan³, Eleni O'Donovan⁴, Kissa M Robinson⁴, Reena Chakraborty³, Bahram Yousefi³, Ciara J Michel¹, Chava J Bowden¹, Aman Kapadia⁴, Lindsey R Riback⁵, Anil T Mangla⁶, Matthew J Akiyama⁵, Anne C Spaulding¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
² Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA.
³ Washington DC Department of Corrections, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
⁴ Unity Healthcare, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Montefiore Hospital, New York City, New York, USA.
⁶ Washington DC Department of Health, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Abstract

Background: Washington, District of Columbia lowered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission in its large jail while community incidence was still high.

Methods: Coordinated clinical and operational interventions brought new cases to near zero.

Results: Aggressive infection control and underlying jail architecture can promote correctional coronavirus disease 2019 management.

Conclusions: More intensive monitoring could help confirm that in-house transmission is truly zero.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; infection control; inmate; jail.