Abstract
Background: A sudden outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the Tibetan Autonomous Region in August 2022 disrupted the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-free status of the Tibetan over the past 3 years and poses severe risks to public health. Methods: A total of 2966 patients and caregivers were admitted to our hospital from August 01, 2022 to October 10, 2022 and cases of negative-to-positive conversion were analyzed during hospitalization. Results: In total, 193 cases of negative-to-positive conversion were identified. The rates of hospitalization for adults (age, ≥15 years), children (age, 0–14 years), and caregivers were 4.04%, 3.07%, and 5.94%, respectively. For the majority of COVID-19 cases, negative-to-positive conversion occurred within 1–4 days. The rates of cases with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms were 41.45%, 46.63%, and 11.92%, respectively. The Tibetan population accounted for 86.01% of all positive cases. Conclusion: Mutant variants of SARS-CoV-2 can adapt to harsh conditions at high altitudes and spread among local populations, suggesting that infection prevention and control efforts should be continued in some regions to protect public health.
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