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Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Andrew P. Rothstein, Casandra W. Philipson, Birgitte B. Simen, and Robert C. Morfino own Ginkgo Bioworks employee stocks or restricted stock unit grants. Ezra T. Ernst owns XWELL employee stocks or restricted stock unit grants. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Robert C. Morfino, Benjamin H. Rome, Andrew P. Rothstein, Siyao Lisa Li, and Thomas W. S. Aichele report Ginkgo Bioworks employee stocks or restricted stock units (RSU) grants. Aaron Bivins reports grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute, and Louisiana State University, payments from BioRad Laboratories, and equipment or materials from Ceres Nanosciences. Ezra T. Ernst reports XWELL employee stocks or RSU grants. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

During July-August 2021, a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak involving 21 residents (all fully vaccinated) and 10 staff (9 fully vaccinated) occurred in a Connecticut nursing home. The outbreak was likely initiated by a fully vaccinated staff member and propagated by fully vaccinated persons. Prior COVID-19 was protective among vaccinated residents., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021.)

During November 19-21, 2021, an indoor convention (event) in New York City (NYC), was attended by approximately 53,000 persons from 52 U.S. jurisdictions and 30 foreign countries. In-person registration for the event began on November 18, 2021. The venue was equipped with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration, and attendees were required to wear a mask indoors and have documented receipt of at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.* On December 2, 2021, the Minnesota Department of Health reported the first case of community-acquired COVID-19 in the United States caused by the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant in a person who had attended the event (1). CDC collaborated with state and local health departments to assess event-associated COVID-19 cases and potential exposures among U.S.-based attendees using data from COVID-19 surveillance systems and an anonymous online attendee survey. Among 34,541 attendees with available contact information, surveillance data identified test results for 4,560, including 119 (2.6%) persons from 16 jurisdictions with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results. Most (4,041 [95.2%]), survey respondents reported always wearing a mask while indoors at the event. Compared with test-negative respondents, test-positive respondents were more likely to report attending bars, karaoke, or nightclubs, and eating or drinking indoors near others for at least 15 minutes. Among 4,560 attendees who received testing, evidence of widespread transmission during the event was not identified. Genomic sequencing of 20 specimens identified the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant (AY.25 and AY.103 sublineages) in 15 (75%) cases, and the Omicron variant (BA.1 sublineage) in five (25%) cases. These findings reinforce the importance of implementing multiple, simultaneous prevention measures, such as ensuring up-to-date vaccination, mask use, physical distancing, and improved ventilation in limiting SARS-CoV-2 transmission, during large, indoor events. † ., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Ruth Lynfield reports unpaid positions as the President of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists and on the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Executive Board. Ruby Serrano reports honoraria from Ponce Health Sciences University. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

The emergence and spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom, has become a global public health concern because of its increased transmissibility. Over 2,500 COVID-19 cases associated with this variant have been detected in the United States (US) since December 2020, but the extent of establishment is relatively unknown. Using travel, genomic, and diagnostic data, we highlight that the primary ports of entry for B.1.1.7 in the US were in New York, California, and Florida. Furthermore, we found evidence for many independent B.1.1.7 establishments starting in early December 2020, followed by interstate spread by the end of the month. Finally, we project that B.1.1.7 will be the dominant lineage in many states by mid- to late March. Thus, genomic surveillance for B.1.1.7 and other variants urgently needs to be enhanced to better inform the public health response., Competing Interests: Declarations of interests M.J.M., G.K., J.M., J.T.D., M.N., N.B., and C.E.M. work for Tempus Labs. K.S.G. receives research support from Thermo Fisher for the development of assays for the detection and characterization of viruses. The remaining authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The article reports that Predeparture testing of international travelers has been identified as a key measure for reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during air travel. Topics include using genomic surveillance data, a new study examined the effect of predeparture testing on postarrival SARS-CoV-2 test positivity among international travelers; and provides real-world evidence supporting predeparture testing as a tool for reducing travel-associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

In fall 2020, a coronavirus disease cluster comprising 16 cases occurred in Connecticut, USA. Epidemiologic and genomic evidence supported transmission among persons at a school and fitness center but not a workplace. The multiple transmission chains identified within this cluster highlight the necessity of a combined investigatory approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fall 2020, a coronavirus disease cluster comprising 16 cases occurred in Connecticut, USA. Epidemiologic and genomic evidence supported transmission among persons at a school and fitness center but not a workplace. The multiple transmission chains identified within this cluster highlight the necessity of a combined investigatory approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the relationship between municipality COVID-19 case rates and SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in the primary sludge of corresponding wastewater treatment facilities. Over 1700 daily primary sludge samples were collected from six wastewater treatment facilities with catchments serving 18 cities and towns in the State of Connecticut, USA. Samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations during a 10 month time period that overlapped with October 2020 and winter/spring 2021 COVID-19 outbreaks in each municipality. We fit lagged regression models to estimate reported case rates in the six municipalities from SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations collected daily from corresponding wastewater treatment facilities. Results demonstrate the ability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in primary sludge to estimate COVID-19 reported case rates across treatment facilities and wastewater catchments, with coverage probabilities ranging from 0.94 to 0.96. Lags of 0 to 1 days resulted in the greatest predictive power for the model. Leave-one-out cross validation suggests that the model can be broadly applied to wastewater catchments that range in more than one order of magnitude in population served. The close relationship between case rates and SARS-CoV-2 concentrations demonstrates the utility of using primary sludge samples for monitoring COVID-19 outbreak dynamics. Estimating case rates from wastewater data can be useful in locations with limited testing availability, testing disparities, or delays in individual COVID-19 testing programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that Wastewater surveillance in airports and on aircraft can enable detection of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Topics include Aircraft wastewater samples from selected international flights were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 by Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and whole genome sequencing; and monitor SARS-CoV-2 variants without direct traveler involvement or disruption to airport operations and can complement traveler-based surveillance.