EPIDEMIOLOGY OF COVID-19 IN NON-CORE INFECTED REGIONS BASED ON PATIENT MOVEMENT TRAJECTORIES - A REPORT FROM CHONGQING, CHINA (11 JANUARY-21 FEBRUARY 2020)

Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in non-core infected regions were identified to provide evidences for prevention and management of COVID-19 epidemic in China. Data collected through an online reporting system were age, gender, source of infection, date of disease occurrence, date and type of primary medical examination and treatment, and classification of COVID-19, mode of infection and clinical symptoms. Confirmed COVID-19 patients (n = 518) constituted male:female ratio of 1.19:1, 30-75 years of age (82.74%), and with clustered cases significantly higher than sporadic cases, percent close contact transmission during dining being highest (39.30%), 88.89% of the patients having a latent period of 2-14 days, duration from primary medical examination to diagnosis ranging from 1 to 16 days, and 43.83% of the patients having fever or cough. In order to prevent further spread of COVID-19 epidemic, measures should be taken to increase detection and isolation of infection sources, reduce unsafe contact behavior, and impose 14-day quarantine of suspected contact individuals together with periodic tests of SARS-Cov-2 infection.