Early Spread of SARS-Cov-2 in the Icelandic Population

Daniel F Gudbjartsson; Agnar Helgason; Hakon Jonsson; Olafur T Magnusson; Pall Melsted; Gudmundur L Norddahl; Jona Saemundsdottir; Asgeir Sigurdsson; Patrick Sulem; Arna B Agustsdottir; Berglind Eiriksdottir; Run Fridriksdottir; Elisabet E Gardarsdottir; Gudmundur Georgsson; Olafia S Gretarsdottir; Kjartan R Gudmundsson; Thora R Gunnarsdottir; Arnaldur Gylfason; Hilma Holm; Brynjar O Jensson; Aslaug Jonasdottir; Frosti Jonsson; Kamilla S Josefsdottir; Thordur Kristjansson; Droplaug N Magnusdottir; Louise le Roux; Gudrun Sigmundsdottir; Gardar Sveinbjornsson; Kristin E Sveinsdottir; Maney Sveinsdottir; Emil A Thorarensen; Bjarni Thorbjornsson; Arthur Love; Gisli Masson; Ingileif Jonsdottir; Alma Moller; Thorolfur Gudnason; Karl G Kristinsson; Unnur Thorsteinsdottir; Kari Stefansson

SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals were identified in Iceland through both targeted testing of high-risk individuals and population screening. The targeted testing started on January 31 2020, and has focused on individuals at high risk of infection because they were symptomatic (cough, fever, aches, and shortness of breath) or coming from ski areas in Austria and northern Italy, their contacts and those who contacted the The registration for the test was online and during sample collection recent travels, contacts with positive individuals, and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 were registered. Over a six-day period 5,502 Icelanders were tested for SARS-CoV-2. All newly positives were placed in isolation and those who had been in contact with the positives, in quarantine for 2 weeks. All symptomatic individuals in quarantine were also tested. In addition to isolating positives and quarantining those at high risk of infection, on March 16 the Icelandic authorities initiated a ban on mass gathering above 100 people and stated that a social distancing of at least 2 meters should be maintained. On March 24, the ban on mass gathering was extended to 20 people. For . CC-BY-NC 4.0 International license It is made available under a is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.