scholarly journals Social mixing patterns for transmission models of close contact infections: exploring self-evaluation and diary-based data collection through a web-based interface

2006 ◽  
Vol 134 (6) ◽  
pp. 1158-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. BEUTELS ◽  
Z. SHKEDY ◽  
M. AERTS ◽  
P. VAN DAMME
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Contact Data ◽  
Mixing Patterns ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Transmission Models

Although mixing patterns are crucial in dynamic transmission models of close contact infections, they are largely estimated by intuition. Using a convenience sample (n=73), we tested self-evaluation and prospective diary surveys with a web-based interface, in order to obtain social contact data. The number of recorded contacts was significantly (P<0·01) greater on workdays (18·1) vs. weekend days (12·3) for conversations, and vice versa for touching (5·4 and 7·2 respectively). Mixing was highly assortative with age for both (adults contacting other adults vs. 0- to 5-year-olds, odds ratio 8·9–10·8). Respondents shared a closed environment significantly more often with >20 other adults than with >20 children. The difference in number of contacts per day was non-significant between self-evaluation and diary (P=0·619 for conversations, P=0·125 for touching). We conclude that self-evaluation could yield similar results to diary surveys for general or very recent mixing information. More detailed data could be collected by diary, at little effort to respondents.

scholarly journals Close contact infection dynamics over time: insights from a second large-scale social contact survey in Flanders, Belgium, in 2010-2011

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thang Van Hoang ◽  
Pietro Coletti ◽  
Yimer Wasihun Kiffe ◽  
Kim Van Kerckhove ◽  
Sarah Vercruysse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Contact Rates ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Mixing Patterns ◽  
Contact Survey ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBackgroundIn 2010-2011, we conducted a social contact survey in Flanders, Belgium, aimed at improving and extending the design of the first social contact survey conducted in Belgium in 2006. This second social contact survey aimed to enable, for the first time, the estimation of social mixing patterns for an age range of 0 to 99 years and the investigation of whether contact rates remain stable over this 5-year time period.MethodsDifferent data mining techniques are used to explore the data, and the age-specific number of social contacts and the age-specific contact rates are modelled using a GAMLSS model. We compare different matrices using assortativeness measures. The relative change in the basic reproduction number (R0) and the ratio of relative incidences with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals (BCI) are employed to investigate and quantify the impact on epidemic spread due to differences in gender, day of the week, holiday vs. regular periods and changes in mixing patterns over the 5-year time gap between the 2006 and 2010-2011 surveys. Finally, we compare the fit of the contact matrices in 2006 and 2010-2011 to Varicella serological data.ResultsAll estimated contact patterns featured strong homophily in age and gender, especially for small children and adolescents. A 30% (95% BCI [17%; 37%] ) and 29% (95% BCI [14%; 40%] ) reduction in R0 was observed for weekend versus weekdays and for holiday versus regular periods, respectively. Significantly more interactions between people aged 60+ years and their grandchildren were observed on holiday and weekend days than on regular weekdays. Comparing contact patterns using different methods did not show any substantial differences over the 5-year time period under study.ConclusionsThe second social contact survey in Flanders, Belgium, endorses the findings of its 2006 predecessor and adds important information on the social mixing patterns of people older than 60 years of age. Based on this analysis, the mixing patterns of people older than 60 years exhibit considerable heterogeneity, and overall, the comparison of the two surveys shows that social contact rates can be assumed stable in Flanders over a time span of 5 years.

scholarly journals Close contact infection dynamics over time: insights from a second large-scale social contact survey in Flanders, Belgium, in 2010-2011

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thang Van Hoang ◽  
Pietro Coletti ◽  
Yimer Wasihun Kifle ◽  
Kim Van Kerckhove ◽  
Sarah Vercruysse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Contact Rates ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Mixing Patterns ◽  
Contact Survey ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background In 2010-2011, we conducted a social contact survey in Flanders, Belgium, aimed at improving and extending the design of the first social contact survey conducted in Belgium in 2006. This second social contact survey aimed to enable, for the first time, the estimation of social mixing patterns for an age range of 0 to 99 years and the investigation of whether contact rates remain stable over this 5-year time period. Methods Different data mining techniques are used to explore the data, and the age-specific number of social contacts and the age-specific contact rates are modelled using a generalized additive models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) model. We compare different matrices using assortativeness measures. The relative change in the basic reproduction number (R0) and the ratio of relative incidences with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals (BCI) are employed to investigate and quantify the impact on epidemic spread due to differences in sex, day of the week, holiday vs. regular periods and changes in mixing patterns over the 5-year time gap between the 2006 and 2010-2011 surveys. Finally, we compare the fit of the contact matrices in 2006 and 2010-2011 to Varicella serological data. Results All estimated contact patterns featured strong homophily in age and sex, especially for small children and adolescents. A 30% (95% BCI [17%; 37%]) and 29% (95% BCI [14%; 40%]) reduction in R0 was observed for weekend versus weekdays and for holiday versus regular periods, respectively. Significantly more interactions between people aged 60+ years and their grandchildren were observed on holiday and weekend days than on regular weekdays. Comparing contact patterns using different methods did not show any substantial differences over the 5-year time period under study. Conclusions The second social contact survey in Flanders, Belgium, endorses the findings of its 2006 predecessor and adds important information on the social mixing patterns of people older than 60 years of age. Based on this analysis, the mixing patterns of people older than 60 years exhibit considerable heterogeneity, and overall, the comparison of the two surveys shows that social contact rates can be assumed stable in Flanders over a time span of 5 years.

scholarly journals SOCRATES-CoMix: a platform for timely and open-source contact mixing data during and in between COVID-19 surges and interventions in over 20 European countries

BMC Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederik Verelst ◽  
Lisa Hermans ◽  
Sarah Vercruysse ◽  
Amy Gimma ◽  
Pietro Coletti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Distance Measures ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Contact Data ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Transmission Models ◽  
Pharmaceutical Interventions

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 dynamics are driven by human behaviour. Social contact data are of utmost importance in the context of transmission models of close-contact infections. Methods Using online representative panels of adults reporting on their own behaviour as well as parents reporting on the behaviour of one of their children, we collect contact mixing (CoMix) behaviour in various phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in over 20 European countries. We provide these timely, repeated observations using an online platform: SOCRATES-CoMix. In addition to providing cleaned datasets to researchers, the platform allows users to extract contact matrices that can be stratified by age, type of day, intensity of the contact and gender. These observations provide insights on the relative impact of recommended or imposed social distance measures on contacts and can inform mathematical models on epidemic spread. Conclusion These data provide essential information for policymakers to balance non-pharmaceutical interventions, economic activity, mental health and wellbeing, during vaccine rollout.

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
O. le Polain de Waroux ◽  
S. Cohuet ◽  
D. Ndazima ◽  
A. J. Kucharski ◽  
A. Juan-Giner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Mixing Patterns

scholarly journals Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence by Community Survey and Residual Specimens, Denver, Colorado, July–August 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492110551
Author(s):  
Kiersten J. Kugeler ◽  
Laura J. Podewils ◽  
Nisha B. Alden ◽  
Tori L. Burket ◽  
Breanna Kawasaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Community Survey ◽  
Source Population ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Clinical Specimens ◽  
Commercial Laboratory ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Resource Requirements ◽  
The Difference

Objectives The number of SARS-CoV-2 infections is underestimated in surveillance data. Various approaches to assess the seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 have different resource requirements and generalizability. We estimated the seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Denver County, Colorado, via a cluster-sampled community survey. Methods We estimated the overall seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 via a community seroprevalence survey in Denver County in July 2020, described patterns associated with seroprevalence, and compared results with cumulative COVID-19 incidence as reported to the health department during the same period. In addition, we compared seroprevalence as assessed with a temporally and geographically concordant convenience sample of residual clinical specimens from a commercial laboratory. Results Based on 404 specimens collected through the community survey, 8.0% (95% CI, 3.9%-15.7%) of Denver County residents had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, an infection rate of about 7 times that of the 1.1% cumulative reported COVID-19 incidence during this period. The estimated infection-to-reported case ratio was highest among children (34.7; 95% CI, 11.1-91.2) and males (10.8; 95% CI, 5.7-19.3). Seroprevalence was highest among males of Black race or Hispanic ethnicity and was associated with previous COVID-19–compatible illness, a previous positive SARS-CoV-2 test result, and close contact with someone who had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Testing of 1598 residual clinical specimens yielded a seroprevalence of 6.8% (95% CI, 5.0%-9.2%); the difference between the 2 estimates was 1.2 percentage points (95% CI, −3.6 to 12.2 percentage points). Conclusions Testing residual clinical specimens provided a similar seroprevalence estimate yet yielded limited insight into the local epidemiology of COVID-19 and might be less representative of the source population than a cluster-sampled community survey. Awareness of the limitations of various sampling strategies is necessary when interpreting findings from seroprevalence assessments.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Social Contact Surveys to Inform Transmission Models of Close-contact Infections

Epidemiology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 723-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thang Hoang ◽  
Pietro Coletti ◽  
Alessia Melegaro ◽  
Jacco Wallinga ◽  
Carlos G. Grijalva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Transmission Models

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 Modelling the SARS-CoV-2 first epidemic wave in Greece: social contact patterns for impact assessment and an exit strategy from social distancing measures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vana Sypsa ◽  
Sotirios Roussos ◽  
Dimitrios Paraskevis ◽  
Theodore Lytras ◽  
S Sotirios Tsiodras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Attack Rate ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Mixing Patterns ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Epidemic Wave

AbstractIn Greece, a nationwide lockdown to mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was imposed on March 23, 2020. As by the end of April the first epidemic wave is waning, it is important to assess the infection attack rate and quantify the impact of physical distancing. We implemented a survey to assess social mixing patterns before the epidemic and during lockdown. We estimated R0 from surveillance data and assessed its decline as a result of physical distancing based on social contacts data. We applied a Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered model to estimate the infection attack rate and the infection fatality ratio (IFR). As multiple social distancing measures were implemented simultaneously (schools/work/leisure), we assessed their overall impact as well as their relative contribution. R0 was estimated 2·38 (95%CI: 2·01,2·80). By April 26th, the infection attack rate was 0·12% (95%CrI: 0·06%,0·26%) and the IFR 1·12% (95%CrI: 0·55%,2·31%). During lockdown, daily contacts were reduced by 86·9% and the effective reproduction number reached 0·46 (95%CrI: 0·35,0·57). The reduction in R0 attributed to lockdown was 81·0% (95%CrI: 71·8%,86·0%) whereas the reduction attributed to each measure separately ranged between 10%-24%. We assessed scenarios with less disruptive social distancing measures as well as scenarios where measures are partially lifted after lockdown. This is the first impact assessment of the first wave of SARS-CoV-2 in a European country. It suggests that only multiple measures implemented simultaneously could reduce R0 below 1. Measuring social mixing patterns can be a tool for real-time monitoring of the epidemic potential.

scholarly journals Collecting close-contact social mixing data with contact diaries: reporting errors and biases

2011 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 744-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. SMIESZEK ◽  
E. U. BURRI ◽  
R. SCHERZINGER ◽  
R. W. SCHOLZ
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Contact Networks ◽  
Reporting Accuracy ◽  
Complete Network ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Diary Studies ◽  
Contact Data

SUMMARYThe analysis of contact networks plays a major role to understanding the dynamics of disease spread. Empirical contact data is often collected using contact diaries. Such studies rely on self-reported perceptions of contacts, and arrangements for validation are usually not made. Our study was based on a complete network study design that allowed for the analysis of reporting accuracy in contact diary studies. We collected contact data of the employees of three research groups over a period of 1 work week. We found that more than one third of all reported contacts were only reported by one out of the two involved contact partners. Non-reporting is most frequent in cases of short, non-intense contact. We estimated that the probability of forgetting a contact of ⩽5 min duration is greater than 50%. Furthermore, the number of forgotten contacts appears to be proportional to the total number of contacts.

scholarly journals Social mixing patterns relevant to infectious diseases spread by close contact in urban Blantyre, Malawi.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deus Thindwa ◽  
Kondwani C Jambo ◽  
John Ojal ◽  
Peter MacPherson ◽  
Mphatso D Phiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Skin Contact ◽  
Social Mixing ◽  
Contact Behaviour ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
Mixing Patterns

Introduction: Understanding human mixing patterns relevant to infectious diseases spread through close contact is vital for modelling transmission dynamics and optimisation of disease control strategies. Mixing patterns in low-income countries like Malawi are not well understood. Methodology: We conducted a social mixing survey in urban Blantyre, Malawi between April and July 2021 (between the 2nd and 3rd wave of COVID-19 infections). Participants living in densely-populated neighbourhoods were randomly sampled and, if they consented, reported their physical and non-physical contacts within and outside homes lasting at least 5 minutes during the previous day. Age-specific mixing rates were calculated, and a negative binomial mixed effects model was used to estimate determinants of contact behaviour. Results: Of 1,201 individuals enrolled, 702 (58.5%) were female, the median age was 15 years (interquartile range [IQR] 5-32) and 127 (10.6%) were HIV-positive. On average, participants reported 10.3 contacts per day (range: 1-25). Mixing patterns were highly age-assortative, particularly those within the community and with skin-to-skin contact. Adults aged 20-49y reported the most contacts (median:11, IQR: 8-15) of all age groups; 38% (95%CI: 16-63) more than infants (median: 8, IQR: 5-10), who had the least contacts. Household contact frequency increased by 3% (95%CI 2-5) per additional household member. Unemployed participants had 15% (95%CI: 9-21) fewer contacts than other adults. Among long range (>30 meters away from home) contacts, secondary school children had the largest median contact distance from home (257m, IQR 78-761). HIV-positive status in adults >18 years-old was not associated with increased contact patterns (1%, 95%CI -9-12). During this period of relatively low COVID-19 incidence in Malawi, 301 (25.1%) individuals stated that they had limited their contact with others due to COVID-19 precautions; however, their reported contacts were not fewer (8%, 95%CI 1-13). Conclusion: In urban Malawi, contact rates, are high and age-assortative, with little behavioural change due to either HIV-status or COVID-19 circulation. This highlights the limits of contact-restriction-based mitigation strategies in such settings and the need for pandemic preparedness to better understand how contact reductions can be enabled and motivated. Keywords: Social contacts, Transmission, Mixing data, Infectious disease, Malawi, Africa

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document