Major US drug company unwittingly became a ‘super spreader’ after executives attending the annual leadership meeting took coronavirus home to SIX states and infected 99 people
- Executives at Biogen attended an annual leadership meeting in Massachusetts
- Employees unwittingly took coronavirus to six states and infected 99 people
- First case of COVID-19 in Tennessee and the first two in Indiana linked to Biogen
- All infected people outside Massachusetts have reportedly recovered from virus
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
A major US drug company unwittingly became a ‘super spreader’ after a meeting of executives led to nearly 100 people becoming infected with coronavirus.
Biogen held an annual leadership meeting at the firm’s headquaters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in late February.
Following the meeting, Biogen employees reportedly took the virus to six states and infected at least 99 people.
After the meeting on February 26, many at the event felt healthy and boarded busy planes and traveled around the country, according to the New York Times.
Some employees drove to visit their families, unwittingly transmitting the disease to those they then met.
The Biogen Inc. office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After a conference on February 26 as many as 99 people are thought to have been infected with coronavirus
The first known case of COVID-19 in Tennessee, as well as the first two infections in Indiana were reportedly Biogen executives.
The earliest group of six cases in North Carolina were also traced back to Biogen employees.
Officially the number of those left ill by the cluster of infections, including employees and those they came into contact with is thought to be 99, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Although experts said the exact number of those infected across the US due to the Biogen outbreak is likely to be higher, the Times reports.
All infected people outside Massachusetts have reportedly recovered, but it is not clear whether anyone became seriously ill or died from the spread from the conference.
The first known case of COVID-19 in Tennessee, as well as the first two infections in Indiana were reportedly Biogen executives
The meeting was one of many examples in the US of a super-spreader events that see a small gathering generating a huge amount of infections.
At least two of Biogen’s senior executives have reportedly tested positive, but their identities have not been made public.
Some have criticized the company for holding the conference at the end of February as some vice-presidents from European countries already hit by the virus were in attendance.
Others in the industry alleged Biogen witheld too much information about how many employees were infected.
John Carroll, editor of Endpoints News, which covers the biotech industry, told the Times: ‘The smartest people in healthcare and drug development – and they were completely oblivious to the biggest thing that was about to shatter their world.’
Other ‘superspreader events’ included a 40th birthday party in Connecticut that saw around half of the 50 guests become infected.
The lavish party in the wealthy suburb of Westport saw the disease transmitted around the US and abroad as far afield as South Africa.
Another event in Kirkland, Washington, is thought to have led to an outbreak at a nursing home.