A Biogen conference held in Boston in February has been linked to about 330,00 COVID-19 cases globally, according to a study published Dec. 10 in Science.
Nearly two dozen academic and medical organizations — including Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston — collaborated on the study. Researchers performed a genetic analysis of virus samples from 772 individuals in the Boston area collected during the first COVID-10 surge this winter and spring.
Their findings suggest the biotech conference — which generated 100 confirmed cases among attendees — evolved into a global superspreader event reaching 29 states, along with countries like Sweden and Australia, according to the Boston Herald.
After reviewing state-reported COVID-19 case counts, researchers estimated that 50,000 cases in the U.S. were linked to the conference by April, 46 percent of which were in Massachusetts. Through Nov. 1, researchers identified about 245,000 cases caused by one virus strain and 88,000 caused by another that were linked to the conference sponsored by the Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech company.
To view the full study, click here.
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