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Infection rate among close contacts of patients with coronavirus disease in Japan: a descriptive study and literature review Cover

Infection rate among close contacts of patients with coronavirus disease in Japan: a descriptive study and literature review

Open Access
|Oct 2023

Figures & Tables

Factors that determine the presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by close contact_

Odds ratio95% confidence interval Lower-UpperP
Age1.000.997–1.0100.227
Underlying disease1.190.853–1.6600.306
Female2.231.700–2.930<0.0001

Characteristics of the cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Fukui Prefecture, Japan_

Period 1* (n = 122)Period 2 (n = 122)Period 3 (n = 301)P
Age (years;IQR)54 (45.3–66)59 (42–77)48 (28–66)<0.0001§
  0–102 (1.6)1 (0.8)12 (4)0.178
  11–203 (2.5)6 (4.9)24 (8)0.081
  21–307 (5.7)12 (4.9)55 (18.3)0.001||
  31–4014 (11.5)10 (8.2)38 (12.6)0.444
  41–5018 (14.8)12 (9.8)39 (13.0)0.536
  51–6036 (29.5)10 (8.2)43 (14.3)<0.0001**
  >6142 (34.4)71 (58.2)90 (29.9)<0.0001††
Sex, n (%)
  Male74 (60.7)65 (53.3)145 (48.2)
  Female48 (29.3)57 (46.7)156 (51.8)
Presence of underlying disease59 (48.4)53 (43.4)96 (31.9)0.005‡‡
Unknown underlying disease0 (0)0 (0)17 (5.6)

Characteristics of definitions of close contacts and infection and attack rates in four Asian countries_

TimeDistanceProtective measure*Observation periodSecondary infection rateSecondary attack rate

<2.0 m<1.0 m
Taiwan15 min or more (conversing)○ (medical institution) None (medical institution)Jan – Apr 20200.8%0.7%
Singapore30 min (with patient) -Jan – Apr 2020-2.4%
Guangzhou, China None (social life)Jan – Mar 20203.7%3.5%
Guangzhou, China None (social life)Before March 2020-4.4%
Hubei Province, China None (social life)Jan – Feb 2020-6.5%
Nagano, Japan15 min or more (contact) None (social life)Aug – Sep 2020-15.0%
Our studyHad prolonged contact None (social life)Mar – Jun 2020Period 1:13.3%-
Fukui, Japan15 minutes or more (contact) None (social life)Jul – Sep 2020Oct 2020 – Feb 2021Period 2:19.2%Period 3:20.0%--

Odds ratios of having a positive SARs-CoV-2 test result among close contacts of patients with COVID-19_

PeriodClose contact with COVID-19 patientSARS-CoV-2 testStratified independence test (Pearson's χ2 test)Stratified odds ratio


PositiveNegativeOdds ratio95% confidence interval Lower-Upper
1*No, n (%)65 (2.2)2866P < 0.00016.764.66–9.80
Yes, n (%)57 (13.3)372
2No, n (%)66 (1.1)6011P < 0.000121.7014.85–31.71
Yes, n (%)56 (19.2)235
3No, n (%)147 (0.7)21596P < 0.000136.9029.04–46.91
Yes, n (%)154 (20.0)613

Number of close contacts and SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate among close contacts patients with COVID-19 in Fukui Prefecture, Japan_

Period 1*Period 2Period 3P
Number of close contacts429291767
Positivity rate among close contacts, n (%)57 (13.3)56 (19.2)154 (20.0)0.009
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/abm-2023-0051 | Journal eISSN: 1875-855X | Journal ISSN: 1905-7415
Language: English
Page range: 115 - 123
Published on: Oct 9, 2023
Published by: Chulalongkorn University
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 6 issues per year

© 2023 Osamu Yamamura, Hidenori Onishi, Ippei Sakamaki, Ryousuke Fujita, Hirofumi Miyashita, Hiromichi Iwasaki, published by Chulalongkorn University
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.