Epidemiologic Evidence for Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during Church Singing, Australia, 2020

• DOI: 10.3201/eid2706.210465
• Publication Date: 2021-04-05T14:42:01Z
• Authors: Anthea L. Katelaris; Jessica Wells; Penelope Clark; Sophie Norton; Rebecca Rockett; Alicia Arnott; Vitali Sintchenko; Stephen Corbett; Shopna K. Bag
• Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; coronaviruses; R; Dispatch; Australia; 610; COVID-19; Singing; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; coronavirus disease; Medicine; Humans; viruses; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection occurred among church attendees after an infectious chorister sang at multiple services. We detected 12 secondary case-patients. Video recordings of the services showed that case-patients were seated in the same section, up to 15 m from the primary case-patient, without close physical contact, suggesting airborne transmission.