Gearhart Shannon L, Preston Leigh Ellyn, Christensen Deborah L, Kinzer Michael H, Ohlsen Elizabeth C, Kim Christine, Palo Matthew R, Rothney Erin, Klevos Andrew D, Pieracci Emily G, Hausman Leslie B, Rey Araceli, Sockwell Denise, Lawman Hannah, Alvarado-Ramy Francisco, Brown Clive, Gertz Alida M
Division of Global Migration Health, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Division of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Public Health Rep. 2025 Mar-Apr;140(2-3):156-162. doi: 10.1177/00333549241277375. Epub 2024 Sep 29.
In 2021, the US government undertook Operation Allies Welcome, in which evacuees from Afghanistan arrived at 2 US ports of entry in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Because of the rapid evacuation process, the US government granted evacuees an exemption to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirement in place at that time-namely, that air passengers present a negative SARS-CoV-2 viral test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they boarded international flights bound for the United States. This study describes cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection detected among 65 068 evacuees who arrived at the 2 ports of entry in August and September 2021. Because evacuees were a population at increased risk for infection with diseases of public health concern, CDC staff helped coordinate on-site and on-arrival testing, visually observed evacuees for signs and symptoms of communicable disease, and referred evacuees for further evaluation and treatment as needed. CDC staff used antigen or nucleic acid amplification tests at the ports of entry to evaluate evacuees aged ≥2 years without documentation of recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. CDC staff isolated evacuees with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and quarantined their close contacts, consistent with CDC guidance at the time, before evacuees rejoined the repatriation process. Of 65 068 evacuees, 214 (0.3%) were confirmed as having SARS-CoV-2 infection after port-of-entry testing. Cases of measles, varicella, pertussis, tuberculosis, hepatitis A, malaria, leishmaniasis, and diarrheal illness were also identified. Although the percentage of SARS-CoV-2 infection was low in this evacuated population, communicable disease detection at US ports of entry, along with vaccination efforts, was an important part of a multilayered approach to mitigate the transmission of disease in congregate housing facilities and into US communities.
2021年，美国政府开展了“盟友欢迎行动”，来自阿富汗的撤离人员抵达弗吉尼亚州和宾夕法尼亚州的2个美国入境口岸。由于撤离过程迅速，美国政府给予撤离人员豁免当时疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）的一项要求，即航空乘客在登上飞往美国的国际航班前需出示严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）病毒检测阴性结果或新冠病毒病康复证明。本研究描述了在2021年8月和9月抵达这2个入境口岸的65068名撤离人员中检测到的SARS-CoV-2感染病例。由于撤离人员是感染公共卫生关注疾病风险增加的人群，CDC工作人员协助协调现场检测和抵达后检测，目视观察撤离人员是否有传染病的体征和症状，并根据需要将撤离人员转介进行进一步评估和治疗。CDC工作人员在入境口岸使用抗原或核酸扩增检测来评估2岁及以上且无近期SARS-CoV-2感染记录的撤离人员。CDC工作人员按照当时的CDC指南，在撤离人员重新加入遣返流程之前，隔离了确诊感染SARS-CoV-2的撤离人员并对其密切接触者进行检疫。在65068名撤离人员中，214人（0.3%）在入境口岸检测后被确诊感染SARS-CoV-2。还发现了麻疹、水痘、百日咳、结核病、甲型肝炎、疟疾、利什曼病和腹泻病病例。尽管在这一撤离人群中SARS-CoV-2感染率较低，但在美国入境口岸进行传染病检测以及疫苗接种工作，是减轻群居住房设施和美国社区疾病传播的多层次方法的重要组成部分。
