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. 2020 Sep-Oct:37:101741.
doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101741. Epub 2020 May 12.

The epidemiology of reverse transmission of COVID-19 in Gansu Province, China

Jingchun Fan  1 , Xiaodong Liu  2 , Guojun Shao  3 , Junpin Qi  4 , Yi Li  5 , Weimin Pan  6 , Brett D Hambly  7 , Shisan Bao  8
Affiliations

The epidemiology of reverse transmission of COVID-19 in Gansu Province, China

Jingchun Fan et al. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2020 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Background: The transmission of COVID-19 is about to come under control within China, however, an emerging challenge to the Chinese authorities is reverse transmission due to COVID-19 patients/carriers evacuating from overseas to China.

Methods: We analysed the epidemiological characteristics of 311 Chinese citizens evacuated from Iran. All confirmed COVID-19 cases amongst the returnees were displayed by the spatial distribution pattern of the extent of COVID-19 infection.

Results: Characteristics that differed significantly amongst these returnees compared to the original infected cohorts in Gansu were mean age, occupation and sex. Differences observed between infected patients and non-patients amongst returnees were age, sex, race, occupation, the use of facemasks, and residential situation in Iran. The clinical features that were significantly related to infection were chill, shortness of breath, chest pain and nausea. Spatial distribution pattern analysis indicated that infected returnees had resided within Iranian provinces that had experienced high levels of COVID-19. The spatial distribution of the original homes of these returnees before departure for Iran demonstrated that returnees will largely return to northwest China, to regions that have only experienced low levels of infection within China.

Conclusion: Blocking the reverse transmission of COVID-19 is critical in preventing a secondary outbreak of COVID-19.

Keywords: Importing; Iran; Outbreaks; SARS-CoV-2; Spreading.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The location of Gansu, China and Iran.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The original distribution of COVID-19 cases in China. The figure above indicates the cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases in China till March 13, 2020. The different colours represent the overall incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases within the general population within each province of China. The round dots represent the original place of residence within China of the Chinese returnees from Iran, with the size of the dot corresponding to the numbers of returnees. Most of these returnees were originally from Ninxia Hui Autonomous Region. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The distribution of returnees and COVID-19 confirmed cases in Iran. The figure above indicates the incidence of COVID-19 infection within the various different regions of Iran, with colour differentiation representing the overall incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases within the general population within each of these regions within Iran; whereas the round dots represent the number of the Chinese returnees living within each of these regions prior to their return evacuation to China. The difference in the size of the dots corresponds to the number of returnees from each region. The green columns represent the confirmed COVID-19 cases amongst these returnees in each region of Iran. . (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)
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figs1The provinces of China.
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figs2The provinces of Iran.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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