Qingdao, China: Can You Contract Covid-19 From Ship Workers or Contaminated Cargo?

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The New England Journal of Medicine reports out on a rapid response to an outbreak in Qingdao, China.  The outbreak alarm was triggered on October 11, 2020, when three cases of Covid-19 were reported in Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong Province. 

The probable source of this cluster was determined to be two dock workers from the city’s port, who were determined on September 24 to have asymptomatic infection. They had no history of travel or contact with anyone confirmed to have Covid-19, but they may have contracted the virus from ship workers or contaminated cargo. These dock workers tested positive during regular biweekly screening for high-risk groups, which was part of the city’s Covid-19 surveillance. 

Read on to see how this case was handled.