Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 16, 2024 0:49:38 GMT
Mapping Australia's COVID-19 quarantine cohort journeys - Published Aug 12, 2024
Highlights
•There were 22 documented quarantine cohort journeys during the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Very few pandemic documents planned for the various quarantine cohorts.
•COVID-19 reviews and inquiries produced 282 quarantine specific recommendations.
•Gaps persist, including a national consensus on quarantine infection prevention and control.
•Governments must prepare for unanticipated arrivals into quarantine systems.
Abstract
Background
Australia rapidly developed COVID-19 quarantine programs to reduce the adverse outcomes of a novel pathogen imported by visitors and returned travellers. Different quarantine pathways were utilised over the pandemic, yet no definitive cohort map exists to guide future preparedness. We created a whole-of-system cohort journey map of Australian quarantine cohorts to inform future pandemic preparedness activities.
Methods
Australian parliamentary websites and Google were searched for publicly available grey literature from 2019 to 2023. Data about quarantine cohorts, pandemic plans and documents, journey activities, viral escape events, and quarantine recommendations were extracted and plotted to produce a whole-of-system cohort journey map.
Results
The system mapping process identified 22 distinct quarantine cohort journeys during COVID-19, yet few of the cohorts were mentioned in pandemic and emergency plans. Viral escape events were documented 27 times, and COVID-19 reviews and inquiries produced 282 quarantine-specific recommendations. Cohorts included international and domestic travellers who experienced home, hotel, and facility quarantine iterations. Other cohorts, such as humanitarian evacuations, diplomats, airline crews, community close contacts, and people experiencing homelessness, had distinctive quarantine journeys.
Conclusions
This whole-of-system quarantine cohort map furthers the case for governments and policymakers to update pandemic plans to include the 22 identified cohorts and test plans through pandemic exercises. Recommendations from inquiries should be acquitted to reduce the risk of viral escape and to strengthen national preparedness if quarantine systems are required in future pandemic responses.
Highlights
•There were 22 documented quarantine cohort journeys during the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Very few pandemic documents planned for the various quarantine cohorts.
•COVID-19 reviews and inquiries produced 282 quarantine specific recommendations.
•Gaps persist, including a national consensus on quarantine infection prevention and control.
•Governments must prepare for unanticipated arrivals into quarantine systems.
Abstract
Background
Australia rapidly developed COVID-19 quarantine programs to reduce the adverse outcomes of a novel pathogen imported by visitors and returned travellers. Different quarantine pathways were utilised over the pandemic, yet no definitive cohort map exists to guide future preparedness. We created a whole-of-system cohort journey map of Australian quarantine cohorts to inform future pandemic preparedness activities.
Methods
Australian parliamentary websites and Google were searched for publicly available grey literature from 2019 to 2023. Data about quarantine cohorts, pandemic plans and documents, journey activities, viral escape events, and quarantine recommendations were extracted and plotted to produce a whole-of-system cohort journey map.
Results
The system mapping process identified 22 distinct quarantine cohort journeys during COVID-19, yet few of the cohorts were mentioned in pandemic and emergency plans. Viral escape events were documented 27 times, and COVID-19 reviews and inquiries produced 282 quarantine-specific recommendations. Cohorts included international and domestic travellers who experienced home, hotel, and facility quarantine iterations. Other cohorts, such as humanitarian evacuations, diplomats, airline crews, community close contacts, and people experiencing homelessness, had distinctive quarantine journeys.
Conclusions
This whole-of-system quarantine cohort map furthers the case for governments and policymakers to update pandemic plans to include the 22 identified cohorts and test plans through pandemic exercises. Recommendations from inquiries should be acquitted to reduce the risk of viral escape and to strengthen national preparedness if quarantine systems are required in future pandemic responses.