Flight-associated transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 corroborated by whole-genome sequencing

Abstract

O n March 21, 2020, the Western Australia Depart- ment of Health was notified that 6 passengers aboard a flight from Sydney, New South Wales, to Perth, Western Australia, Australia, on March 19 had tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by PCR.All 6 passengers had disembarked from cruise ships that had recently docked in Sydney.In the subsequent 2 weeks, several other cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified among passengers on that flight.Although the role of cruise ships in SARS-CoV-2 transmission is well documented (1), information regarding potential flight-associated transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (2,3) is limited.We investigated SARS-CoV-2 transmission associated with a 5-hour domestic flight by analyzing epidemiologic and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data.Ethics approval was not required for this investigation, conducted as part of the public health response to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak under the Western Australia Public Health Act 2016. Methods Public Health Response to Coronavirus Disease in Australia Initial Public Health Investigation of the FlightOn the afternoon of March 19, 2020, a domestic flight within Australia departed Sydney and landed 5 hours later in Perth.The aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, had 28 business and 213 economy class passengers on Flight-Associated Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Corroborated by Whole-Genome Sequencing