Testing for COVID-19 during an outbreak within a large UK prison: an evaluation of mass testing to inform outbreak control.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The aim of this paper was to describe the results of mass asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 in a male prison in England following the declaration of an outbreak. It provides novel data on the implementation of a mass testing regime within a prison during the pandemic.

Methods

The paper is an observational evaluation of the mass testing conducted for 6 months following the declaration of a COVID-19 outbreak within a prison. It investigated the incidence of positive cases in both staff and residents using polymerase chain reaction testing.

Results

Data from October 2020 until March 2021 was included. A total of 2170 tests were performed by 851 residents and 182 staff members; uptake was 48.3% for people living in prison and 30.4% for staff. Overall test posit

SUBMITTER: Blackmore C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9575576 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature