Welsh study suggests households pose highest risk of Coronavirus transmission
The Public Health Wales research doesn't show risk of transmission to adults from education settings
Evidence from mass Coronavirus testing in two areas of South Wales has revealed households are the most significant source of infection.
The study from Public Health Wales published today looks at the evidence from mass testing in Merthyr Tydfil and the Cynon Valley.
It suggests that households are the most significant source of infection, while working in the hospitality sector or visiting the pub are also significant risks.
Smoking or vaping appears to have a small but significant effect on transmission too.
No evidence was found that education settings provide a significant risk of transmission of Coronavirus to adults.
The study was conducted between 21 November and 20 December 2020 and focused on risk factors for catching Coronavirus in a community setting rather than risk of serious illness/hospitalisation or death - with 99.6 per cent attending the testing pilot being asymptomatic at the time.
Data was collected during the height of the second wave of the pandemic, in an area that had some of the highest rates of infection in the UK.
The main findings of the report are:
In this community, transmission within the household was the highest source of infection.
Working in the hospitality sector, and visiting the pub were significant risks but at the time of this study were relatively infrequent exposures, due to restrictions at the time.
Smoking or vaping had a small but significant effect on risk of transmission.
Working in social or healthcare had an increased risk.
In this community, and at this point in the epidemic, reducing transmission from a household contact who is self-isolating would have the biggest public health impact
No evidence was found that education settings provided a significant risk of transmission to adults: Working in education, living with someone working in education, or living with school age children were not important risk factors in this study.
Visiting facilities such as supermarkets, restaurant, gyms and leisure centre also did not appear to increase risk of infection.
Prof. Daniel Thomas, Consultant Epidemiologist, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre at Public Health Wales, said:
“There is growing evidence that certain population groups are more likely to be affected by severe Coronavirus including older people, males, pregnant women, and people with pre-existing chronic disease or disability.
“People in certain minority ethnic groups and those in public-facing occupations are also disproportionally affected, but it is unclear whether this is related to increased risk of acquiring Coronavirus or increased risk of severe disease once infected.
“Compared with the evidence that exists for risks associated with hospitalisation and death, limited information is available on the social, demographic and behavioural factors associated with transmission of Coronavirus in the community.
The community mass testing was carried out by Cwm Taff Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB).