Social contact patterns and control strategies for influenza in the elderly

2012 ◽  
Vol 240 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Towers ◽  
Z. Feng
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
And Control

scholarly journals Characteristics of human encounters and social mixing patterns relevant to infectious diseases spread by close contact: A survey in southwest Uganda

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
O le Polain de Waroux ◽  
S Cohuet ◽  
D Ndazima ◽  
A J Kucharski ◽  
A Juan-Giner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Human Interactions ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Contact Survey ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTQuantification of human interactions relevant to infectious disease transmission through social contact is central to predict disease dynamics, yet data from low-resource settings remain scarce. We undertook a social contact survey in rural Uganda, whereby participants were asked to recall details about the frequency, type, and socio-demographic characteristics of any conversational encounter that lasted for ≥5 minutes (henceforth defined as ‘contacts’) during the previous day. An estimate of the number of ‘casual contacts’ (i.e. <5 minutes) was also obtained. A total of 568 individuals were included. On average participants reported having routine contact with 7.2 individuals (range 1-25). Children aged 5-14 years had the highest frequency of contacts and the elderly (≥65 years) the fewest (P<0.001). A strong age-assortative pattern was seen, particularly outside the household and increasingly so for contacts occurring further away from home. Adults aged 25-64 years tended to travel more and further than others, and males travelled more frequently than females. Our study provides detailed information on contact patterns and their spatial characteristics in an African setting. It therefore fills an important knowledge gap that will help more accurately predict transmission dynamics and the impact of control strategies in such areas.

scholarly journals Assessing Age-Specific Vaccination Strategies and Post-Vaccination Reopening Policies for COVID-19 Control Using SEIR Modeling Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Wang ◽  
Hulin Wu ◽  
Sanyi Tang
Keyword(s):  
Age Structure ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Post Vaccination ◽  
Vaccination Strategies ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Effect Of Age

AbstractBackgroundAs the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, it is badly needed to develop vaccination guidelines to prioritize the vaccination delivery in order to effectively stop COVID-19 epidemic and minimize the loss.MethodsWe evaluated the effect of age-specific vaccination strategies on the number of infections and deaths using an SEIR model, considering the age structure and social contact patterns for different age groups for each of different countries.ResultsIn general, the vaccination priority should be given to those younger people who are active in social contacts to minimize the number of infections; while the vaccination priority should be given to the elderly to minimize the number of deaths. But this principle may not always apply when the interaction of age structure and age-specific social contact patterns is complicated. Partially reopening schools, workplaces or households, the vaccination priority may need to be adjusted accordingly.ConclusionsPrematurely reopening social contacts could initiate a new outbreak or even a new pandemic out of control if the vaccination rate and the detection rate are not high enough. Our result suggests that it requires at least nine months of vaccination before fully reopening social contacts in order to avoid a new pandemic.

scholarly journals Limits of lockdown: characterising essential contacts during strict physical distancing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Thomas ◽  
Leon Danon ◽  
Hannah Christensen ◽  
Kate Northstone ◽  
Daniel Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Incident Rate ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Determining Factor

ABSTRACTCOVID-19 has exposed health inequalities within countries and globally. The fundamental determining factor behind an individual’s risk of infection is the number of social contacts they make. In many countries, physical distancing measures have been implemented to control transmission of SARS-CoV-2, reducing social contacts to a minimum. Characterising unavoidable social contacts is key for understanding the inequalities behind differential risks and planning vaccination programmes. We utilised an existing English longitudinal birth cohort, which is broadly representative of the wider population (n=6807), to explore social contact patterns and behaviours when strict physical distancing measures were in place during the UK’s first lockdown in March-May 2020. Essential workers, specifically those in healthcare, had 4.5 times as many contacts as non-essential workers [incident rate ratio = 4.42 (CI95%: 3.88–5.04)], whilst essential workers in other sectors, mainly teaching and the police force had three times as many contacts [IRR = 2.84 (2.58–3.13)]. The number of individuals in a household, which is conflated by number of children, increases essential social contacts by 40%. Self-isolation effectively reduces numbers of contacts outside of the home, but not entirely. Together, these findings will aid the interpretation of epidemiological data and impact the design of effective SARS-CoV-2 control strategies, such as vaccination, testing and contact tracing.

scholarly journals Social contact patterns among employees in 3 U.S. companies during early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, April to June 2020

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moses C. Kiti ◽  
Obianuju G. Aguolu ◽  
Carol Y. Liu ◽  
Ana R. Mesa ◽  
Rachel Regina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Median Number ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Spread Of Infection

2.AbstractImportanceDevising control strategies against diseases such as COVID-19 require understanding of contextual social mixing and contact patterns. There has been no standardized multi-site social contact study conducted in workplace settings in the United States that can be used to broadly inform pandemic preparedness policy in these settings.ObjectiveThe study aimed to characterize the patterns of social contacts and mixing across workplace environments, including on-site or when teleworking.DesignThis was a cross-sectional non-probability survey that used standardized social contact diaries to collect data. Employees were requested to record their physical and non-physical contacts in a diary over two consecutive days, documented at the end of each day. Employees from each company were enrolled through email and electronic diaries sent as individual links. Data were collected from April to June 2020.SettingTwo multinational consulting companies and one university administrative department, all located in Georgia, USA.ParticipantsEmployees opted into the study by accepting the invitation on a link sent via email.Main OutcomeThe outcome was median number of contacts per person per day. This was stratified by day of data collection, age, sex, race and ethnicity.ResultsOf 3,835 employees approached, 357 (9.3%) completed the first day of contact diary of which 304 completed both days of contact diary. There was a median of 2 contacts (IQR: 1-4, range: 0-21) per respondent on both day one and two. The majority (55%) of contacts involved conversation only, occurred at home (64%), and cumulatively lasted more than 4 hours (38%). Most contacts were repeated, and within same age groups, though participants aged 30-59 years reported substantial inter-generational mixing with children.ConclusionParticipating employees in 3 surveyed workplaces reported few contacts, similar to studies from the UK and China when shelter-in-place orders were in effect during the pandemic. Many contacts were repeated which may limit the spread of infection. Future rounds are planned to assess changes in contact patterns when employees resume work in the office after the lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 control measures on social contacts and transmission in Kenyan informal settlements

BMC Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Quaife ◽  
◽  
Kevin van Zandvoort ◽  
Amy Gimma ◽  
Kashvi Shah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Respiratory Pathogen ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Many low- and middle-income countries have implemented control measures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it is not clear to what extent these measures explain the low numbers of recorded COVID-19 cases and deaths in Africa. One of the main aims of control measures is to reduce respiratory pathogen transmission through direct contact with others. In this study, we collect contact data from residents of informal settlements around Nairobi, Kenya, to assess if control measures have changed contact patterns, and estimate the impact of changes on the basic reproduction number (R0). Methods We conducted a social contact survey with 213 residents of five informal settlements around Nairobi in early May 2020, 4 weeks after the Kenyan government introduced enhanced physical distancing measures and a curfew between 7 pm and 5 am. Respondents were asked to report all direct physical and non-physical contacts made the previous day, alongside a questionnaire asking about the social and economic impact of COVID-19 and control measures. We examined contact patterns by demographic factors, including socioeconomic status. We described the impact of COVID-19 and control measures on income and food security. We compared contact patterns during control measures to patterns from non-pandemic periods to estimate the change in R0. Results We estimate that control measures reduced physical contacts by 62% and non-physical contacts by either 63% or 67%, depending on the pre-COVID-19 comparison matrix used. Masks were worn by at least one person in 92% of contacts. Respondents in the poorest socioeconomic quintile reported 1.5 times more contacts than those in the richest. Eighty-six percent of respondents reported a total or partial loss of income due to COVID-19, and 74% reported eating less or skipping meals due to having too little money for food. Conclusion COVID-19 control measures have had a large impact on direct contacts and therefore transmission, but have also caused considerable economic and food insecurity. Reductions in R0 are consistent with the comparatively low epidemic growth in Kenya and other sub-Saharan African countries that implemented similar, early control measures. However, negative and inequitable impacts on economic and food security may mean control measures are not sustainable in the longer term.

scholarly journals A Mathematical Model of Treatment and Vaccination Interventions of Pneumococcal Pneumonia Infection Dynamics

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Kizito ◽  
Julius Tumwiine
Keyword(s):  
Reproduction Number ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Infection Dynamics ◽  
And Control ◽  
Long Term Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Globally Stable ◽  
Disease Free

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the leading causes of serious morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in young children and the elderly. In this study, a model of the spread and control of bacterial pneumonia under public health interventions that involve treatment and vaccination is formulated. It is found out that the model exhibits the disease-free and endemic equilibria. The disease-free equilibrium is stable if and only if the basic reproduction number R0<1 and the disease will be wiped out of the population. For R0≥1, the endemic equilibrium is globally stable and the disease persists. We infer the effect of these interventions on the dynamics of the pneumonia through sensitivity analysis on the effective reproduction number Re, from which it is revealed that treatment and vaccination interventions combined can eradicate pneumonia infection. Numerical simulation to illustrate the analytical results and establish the long term behavior of the disease is done. The impact of pneumonia infection control strategies is investigated. It is revealed that, with treatment and vaccination interventions combined, pneumonia can be wiped out. However, with treatment intervention alone, pneumonia persists in the population.

scholarly journals Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Sex Differences in Social Contact Patterns and Implications for Tuberculosis Transmission and Control

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 910-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine C. Horton ◽  
Anne L. Hoey ◽  
Guillaume Béraud ◽  
Elizabeth L. Corbett ◽  
Richard G. White
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Tuberculosis Transmission ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
And Control

A cost-effective preventative approach to potentially save lives in the coronavirus pandemic, jointly using Vitamin D, Curcumin, and Vitamin C. Authors Bakare T A and Soar J S

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagjit S Soar
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin C ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Pharmaceutical Drugs ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Literature Searches ◽  
Pharmaceutical Agents ◽  
And Control

he current COVID-19 pandemic now believed to be based on the mutation of the SARS-CoV virus (first reported in 2002) to SARS-CoV-2 emerging in 2019, is naturally causing extreme worry and concern around the world with sometimes mixed and incoherent messages on how to deal with it. There is a plethora of information from previous epidemics caused by other coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS (2002) and Middle East respiratory syndrome MERS (2012) from which we can extrapolate guidance on how to deal with the current pandemic. In the current absence of specific pharmaceutical agents, we propose assessing the extended tools that we already possess in our biological armoury to combat, prevent and control the spread of this virus. Using a set of precise criteria to locate such possible contenders, we conducted literature searches to find compounds that met these criteria. We have now reduced this to a shortlist of three agents that may be the best candidates. We propose vitamin C, vitamin D and Curcumin fit our criteria well. These compounds are widely available to the general public. They are available online and over-the-counter as supplements. Otherwise healthy individuals are safely able to self-administer these agents as a prophylactic to protect themselves and to enhance their immune response. This would be especially desirable for the elderly and at risk groups. These agents can also be used as adjunct therapy, particularly for those who may have early symptoms. This preventative therapy could be implemented whilst awaiting specific pharmaceutical drugs to emerge as a treatment for COVID-19. Our suggested compounds are a highly cost-effective way to potentially reduce the mortality that is regretfully mounting as a result of COVID-19 infection. The biological mode of action and the dosing of these compounds are summarised.

Effective infection prevention and control strategies in a large accredited psychiatric facility in Singapore

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Poremski ◽  
Sandra Henrietta Subner ◽  
Grace Lam Fong Kin ◽  
Raveen Dev Ram Dev ◽  
Mok Yee Ming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Psychiatric Facility ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
And Control

The Institute of Mental Health in Singapore continues to attempt to prevent the introduction of COVID-19, despite community transmission. Essential services are maintained and quarantine measures are currently unnecessary. To help similar organizations, strategies are listed along three themes: sustaining essential services, preventing infection, and managing human and consumable resources.

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