Lessons from a COVID-19 outbreak in the disability support sector, Australian Capital Territory, August 2021

Abstract

People with disability are at higher risk of severe outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Due to complex client needs and available staffing, disability support providers (DSP) were limited in their ability to mitigate the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into disability support settings. This report describes the characteristics of a Delta variant outbreak associated with a single DSP in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), in August 2021. We calculated attack rates for workplace exposure sites and households, using the number of people present at workplaces and households as the denominator.

Thirty confirmed cases were identified, comprised of 13 support workers, six clients, and 11 household and other contacts. The median age of cases was 30.5 years (range 1 to 80 years) and 5 cases (17%) were hospitalised. No cases were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) or died. Twenty-two percent of people in close contact with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases in this cluster (23/103) subsequently tested positive to SARS-CoV-2. Investigations identified multiple primary cases, with one primary case the likely infection source for at least 17 other cases. Despite the majority being eligible for vaccination, only two cases were fully vaccinated (two doses > 14 days before exposure). The mean secondary attack rate at workplace sites (15% or 12/80 close contacts infected) was lower than the tertiary attack rate (47.8% or 11/23 close contacts infected). The overall risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in DSP-related work sites was lower than for household settings (relative risk: 0.42; 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.82).

These findings demonstrate the importance of ongoing collaboration between governments and the disability support sector. Development and delivery of targeted health messaging to people with disability and to disability support workers, regarding infection control in the home setting, and identification of enablers for vaccination, should be the highest priorities from this collaboration.