scholarly journals Lockdown impact on age-specific contact patterns and behaviours in France

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Bosetti ◽  
Bich-Tram Huynh ◽  
Armiya Youssouf Abdou ◽  
Marie Sanchez ◽  
Catherine Eisenhauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Epidemic Dynamics ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Specific Contact ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn the first trimester 2020, a significant number of countries implemented general lockdowns of their populations to contain the quickly expanding SARS-CoV-2 epidemic and avoid major saturation of health care capacity. Understanding how these unprecedented measures impacted population behaviour and contact patterns is key to predict more accurately the health, social and economic impacts of such extreme actions if they were to be applied to future outbreaks. We set up an online survey to measure how the lockdown affected social contact patterns in France, and collected information from 42,036 participants aged 18 years and over between April 10 and April 28, 2020. Among the participants who normally worked outside home prior to the lockdown (72% of the survey population), 68% reported that they had moved to working from home and 17% reported being unemployed during the lockdown.Only 2% of participants used public transport during lockdown, as opposed to 37% before it. Participants reported increased frequency of washing hands, switch in greeting behaviour, but generally limited use of masks outside home. 138,934 contacts were reported, with an average 3.3 contacts per individual per day (1.7 for individuals aged >65 years old compared to 3.6 for younger age-groups). This represented a 70% reduction compared with previous surveys, consistent with reductions in transmission rates measured during the lockdown. Contacts in workplaces, shops, and transports on the previous day were respectively reported in only 11%, 31% and 0.5% of the participants. For those who maintained a professional activity outside home, the frequency of contacts at work dropped by 79%. This study shows that the lockdown dramatically affected population’s behavior, work, risk perception and contact patterns. Both frequency and heterogeneity of contacts were affected, impacting potential important features of virus dissemination. Such surveys are essential to evaluate more accurately the impact of past or future lockdowns and anticipate epidemic dynamics in these conditions.

scholarly journals Lockdown impact on age-specific contact patterns and behaviours, France, April 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (48) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Bosetti ◽  
Bich-Tram Huynh ◽  
Armiya Youssouf Abdou ◽  
Marie Sanchez ◽  
Catherine Eisenhauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Population Mixing ◽  
Epidemic Dynamics ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Specific Contact ◽  
Transmission Reduction ◽  
The Impact

Background Many countries implemented national lockdowns to contain the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 and avoid overburdening healthcare capacity. Aim We aimed to quantify how the French lockdown impacted population mixing, contact patterns and behaviours. Methods We conducted an online survey using convenience sampling and collected information from participants aged 18 years and older between 10 April and 28 April 2020. Result Among the 42,036 survey participants, 72% normally worked outside their home, and of these, 68% changed to telework during lockdown and 17% reported being unemployed during lockdown. A decrease in public transport use was reported from 37% to 2%. Participants reported increased frequency of hand washing and changes in greeting behaviour. Wearing masks in public was generally limited. A total of 138,934 contacts were reported, with an average of 3.3 contacts per individual per day; 1.7 in the participants aged 65 years and older compared with 3.6 for younger age groups. This represented a 70% reduction compared with previous surveys, consistent with SARS-CoV2 transmission reduction measured during the lockdown. For those who maintained a professional activity outside home, the frequency of contacts at work dropped by 79%. Conclusion The lockdown affected the population's behaviour, work, risk perception and contact patterns. The frequency and heterogeneity of contacts, both of which are critical factors in determining how viruses spread, were affected. Such surveys are essential to evaluate the impact of lockdowns more accurately and anticipate epidemic dynamics in these conditions.

scholarly journals Differential impact of physical distancing strategies on social contacts relevant for the spread of SARS-CoV-2: evidence from a cross-national online survey, March–April 2020

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e050651
Author(s):  
Emanuele Del Fava ◽  
Jorge Cimentada ◽  
Daniela Perrotta ◽  
André Grow ◽  
Francesco Rampazzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Infection Transmission ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
The Face ◽  
Gradual Introduction ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Net Reproduction

ObjectivesWe investigate changes in social contact patterns following the gradual introduction of non-pharmaceutical interventions and their implications for infection transmission in the early phase of the pandemic.Design, setting and participantsWe conducted an online survey based on targeted Facebook advertising campaigns across eight countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, UK and USA), achieving a sample of 51 233 questionnaires in the period 13 March–12 April 2020. Poststratification weights based on census information were produced to correct for selection bias.Outcome measuresParticipants provided data on social contact numbers, adoption of protective behaviours and perceived level of threat. These data were combined to derive a weekly index of infection transmission, the net reproduction number Rt .ResultsEvidence from the USA and UK showed that the number of daily contacts mainly decreased after governments issued the first physical distancing guidelines. In mid-April, daily social contact numbers had decreased between 61% in Germany and 87% in Italy with respect to pre-COVID-19 levels, mostly due to a contraction in contacts outside the home. Such reductions, which were uniform across age groups, were compatible with an Rt equal or smaller than one in all countries, except Germany. This indicates lower levels of infection transmission, especially in a period of gradual increase in the adoption rate of the face mask outside the home.ConclusionsWe provided a comparable set of statistics on social contact patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic for eight high-income countries, disaggregated by week and other demographic factors, which could be leveraged by the scientific community for developing more realistic epidemic models of COVID-19.

scholarly journals The differential impact of physical distancing strategies on social contacts relevant for the spread of COVID-19: Evidence from a multi-country survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Del Fava ◽  
Jorge Cimentada ◽  
Daniela Perrotta ◽  
André Grow ◽  
Francesco Rampazzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Facebook Advertising ◽  
Net Reproduction ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPhysical distancing measures are intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, even though their impact on social contacts and disease transmission remains unclear. Obtaining timely data on social contact patterns can help to assess the impact of such protective measures. We conducted an online opt-in survey based on targeted Facebook advertising campaigns across seven European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom (UK)) and the United States (US), achieving a sample of 53,708 questionnaires in the period March 13–April 13, 2020. Post-stratification weights were produced to correct for biases. Data on social contact numbers, as well as on protective behaviour and perceived level of threat were collected and used to the expected net reproduction number by week, Rt, with respect to pre-pandemic data. Compared to social contacts reported prior to COVID-19, in mid-April daily social contact numbers had decreased between 49% in Germany and 83% in Italy, ranging from below three contacts per day in France, Spain, and the UK up to four in Germany and the Netherlands. Such reductions were sufficient to bring Rt to one or even below in all countries, except Germany. Evidence from the US and the UK showed that the number of daily social contacts mainly decreased after governments issued the first physical distancing guidelines. Finally, although contact numbers decreased uniformly across age groups, older adults reported the lowest numbers of contacts, indicating higher levels of protection. We provided a comparable set of statistics on social contact patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic for eight high-income countries, disaggregated by week. As these estimates offer a more grounded alternative to the theoretical assumptions often used in epidemiological models, the scientific community could draw on this information for developing more realistic epidemic models of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Analysing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on everyday travel behaviour in Germany and potential implications for future travel patterns

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoriya Kolarova ◽  
Christine Eisenmann ◽  
Claudia Nobis ◽  
Christian Winkler ◽  
Barbara Lenz
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Travel Behaviour ◽  
German Population ◽  
Travel Patterns ◽  
Home Office ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction The global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is having a great impact on all areas of the everyday life, including travel behaviour. Various measures that focus on restricting social contacts have been implemented in order to reduce the spread of the virus. Understanding how daily activities and travel behaviour change during such global crisis and the reasons behind is crucial for developing suitable strategies for similar future events and analysing potential mid- and long-term impacts. Methods In order to provide empirical insights into changes in travel behaviour during the first Coronavirus-related lockdown in 2020 for Germany, an online survey with a relative representative sample for the German population was conducted a week after the start of the nationwide contact ban. The data was analysed performing descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results and Discussion The results suggest in general an increase in car use and decrease in public transport use as well as more negative perception of public transport as a transport alternative during the pandemic. Regarding activity-related travel patterns, the findings show firstly, that the majority of people go less frequent shopping; simultaneously, an increase in online shopping can be seen and characteristics of this group were analysed. Secondly, half of the adult population still left their home for leisure or to run errands; young adults were more active than all other age groups. Thirdly, the majority of the working population still went to work; one out of four people worked in home-office. Lastly, potential implications for travel behaviour and activity patterns as well as policy measures are discussed.

scholarly journals Relaxing lockdown measures in epidemic outbreaks using selective socio-economic containment with uncertainty

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giacomo Albi ◽  
Lorenzo Pareschi ◽  
Mattia Zanella
Keyword(s):  
Uncertain Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Difficult Problem ◽  
Feedback Controls ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Specific Contact ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

After an initial phase characterized by the introduction of timely and drastic containment measures aimed at stopping the epidemic contagion from SARS-CoV2, many governments are preparing to relax such measures in the face of a severe economic crisis caused by lockdowns. Assessing the impact of such openings in relation to the risk of a resumption of the spread of the disease is an extremely difficult problem due to the many unknowns concerning the actual number of people infected, the actual reproduction number and infection fatality rate of the disease. In this work, starting from a compartmental model with a social structure, we derive models with multiple feedback controls depending on the social activities that allow to assess the impact of a selective relaxation of the containment measures in the presence of uncertain data. Specific contact patterns in the home, work, school and other locations for all countries considered have been used. Results from different scenarios in some of the major countries where the epidemic is ongoing, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, are presented and discussed.

scholarly journals FACE-TO-FACE AND FACEBOOK ACROSS THE LIFESPAN: SOCIAL INTERACTIONS BUFFER STRESS ON MOOD, BUT ONLY FOR ADOLESCENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S694-S695
Author(s):  
Yin Liu ◽  
Elizabeth B Fauth ◽  
Myles Maxey ◽  
Troy Beckert
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Stress Appraisal ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Social support serves as a protective factor, buffering stress in both adolescents and adults, however Socioemotional Selectivity Theory suggests developmental differences in stress reactivity and social support. It is unclear how modern forms of social contact, such as social media buffer stress, and the extent to which this differs across the lifespan. We utilized ecological momentary data to examine the moderating effects of age and two distinct types of social contacts the person had experienced in prior hours (frequency of face-to-face, or social media contacts) on the association between daily stress and momentary mood. Participants were recruited initially through Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (adolescents referred by a parent). A total of 119 adolescent (n = 44; Agemean= 15.73) and middle-aged/older adult participants (n = 75; Agemean= 59.67) provided momentary data three times a day, on three consecutive days, every two weeks, for up to 12 weeks. Multi-level models showed significant 3-way interactions between stress appraisal of avoiding an argument, age group, and frequency of social contact via face-to-face (β = 1.698, se = 0.542, p = .002) and social media (β = 3.341, se = 0.984, p = .001). Older adults experienced better mood than adolescents. When avoiding an argument was appraised as more stressful, both age groups displayed worse mood. Whereas high levels of recent social contact (both face-to-face and social media) seemed to exacerbate the impact of this stressor on poorer mood for older persons, high levels of recent social contact, particularly social media, had stress-buffering benefits for adolescents.

scholarly journals Study design and protocol for investigating social network patterns in rural and urban schools and households in a coastal setting in Kenya using wearable proximity sensors

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moses Chapa Kiti ◽  
Alessia Melegaro ◽  
Ciro Cattuto ◽  
David James Nokes
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
The Impact

Background: Social contact patterns shape the transmission of respiratory infections spread via close interactions. There is a paucity of observational data from schools and households, particularly in developing countries. Portable wireless sensors can record unbiased proximity events between individuals facing each other, shedding light on pathways of infection transmission. Design and methods: The aim is to characterize face-to-face contact patterns that may shape the transmission of respiratory infections in schools and households in Kilifi, Kenya. Two schools, one each from a rural and urban area, will be purposively selected. From each school, 350 students will be randomly selected proportional to class size and gender to participate. Nine index students from each school will be randomly selected and followed-up to their households. All index household residents will be recruited into the study. A further 3-5 neighbouring households will also be recruited to give a maximum of 350 participants per household setting. The sample size per site is limited by the number of sensors available for data collection. Each participant will wear a wireless proximity sensor lying on their chest area for 7 consecutive days. Data on proximal dyadic interactions will be collected automatically by the sensors only for participants who are face-to-face. Key characteristics of interest include the distribution of degree and the frequency and duration of contacts and their variation in rural and urban areas. These will be stratified by age, gender, role, and day of the week. Expected results: Resultant data will inform on social contact patterns in rural and urban areas of a previously unstudied population. Ensuing data will be used to parameterize mathematical simulation models of transmission of a range of respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus, and used to explore the impact of intervention measures such as vaccination and social distancing.

scholarly journals Smart Home Adoption: The Impact of User Characteristics and Differences in Perception of Benefits

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 393
Author(s):  
Soojung Chang ◽  
Kyeongsook Nam
Keyword(s):  
Smart Home ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Environmental Control ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Smart Homes ◽  
User Characteristics ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Home Service ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

Despite the various benefits offered by smart homes, they have not yet been widely adopted by mainstream users. This study was designed to identify user perceptions in the association between smart home service preference and adoption and to identify factors affecting the adoption and service preferences of smart homes. In order to achieve the goal of the study, an online survey was conducted among 400 potential users in the Republic of Korea. The main findings are as follows: First, there were considerable needs for the services that can support the independent lives of residents, such as safety and convenience services, among all age groups. Second, the study findings suggested that those who preferred environmental control service most were more likely to become relatively active adopters. Third, a significant association between the preference for smart home services and the intention to use was identified. Finally, the study findings suggested that the number of service preferences and adoption was not directly proportional. The findings reported in this study can improve the overall understanding of the process of adopting smart homes, and can provide important insights into user-centered strategies to promote the adoption of smart home services.

scholarly journals Contact surveys reveal heterogeneities in age-group contributions to SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Chin ◽  
Dennis M. Feehan ◽  
Caroline O. Buckee ◽  
Ayesha S. Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Contact Rate ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Contact Rates ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Age Structured ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

SARS-CoV-2 is spread primarily through person-to-person contacts. Quantifying population contact rates is important for understanding the impact of physical distancing policies and for modeling COVID-19, but contact patterns have changed substantially over time due to shifting policies and behaviors. There are surprisingly few empirical estimates of age-structured contact rates in the United States both before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that capture these changes. Here, we use data from six waves of the Berkeley Interpersonal Contact Survey (BICS), which collected detailed contact data between March 22, 2020 and February 15, 2021 across six metropolitan designated market areas (DMA) in the United States. Contact rates were low across all six DMAs at the start of the pandemic. We find steady increases in the mean and median number of contacts across these localities over time, as well as a greater proportion of respondents reporting a high number of contacts. We also find that young adults between ages 18 and 34 reported more contacts on average compared to other age groups. The 65 and older age group consistently reported low levels of contact throughout the study period. To understand the impact of these changing contact patterns, we simulate COVID-19 dynamics in each DMA using an age-structured mechanistic model. We compare results from models that use BICS contact rate estimates versus commonly used alternative contact rate sources. We find that simulations parameterized with BICS estimates give insight into time-varying changes in relative incidence by age group that are not captured in the absence of these frequently updated estimates. We also find that simulation results based on BICS estimates closely match observed data on the age distribution of cases, and changes in these distributions over time. Together these findings highlight the role of different age groups in driving and sustaining SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the U.S. We also show the utility of repeated contact surveys in revealing heterogeneities in the epidemiology of COVID-19 across localities in the United States.

scholarly journals Before and After the Pandemic: Alcohol Consumption and Related Problems in Argentina

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. e1444
Author(s):  
Karina Conde ◽  
Paula Victoria Gimenez ◽  
Tomás Salomón ◽  
Raquel Inés Peltzer ◽  
Sebastián Laspiur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and isolation measures on alcohol consumption remains unknown among Latin-American countries. This paper characterizes differences in alcohol consumption and related problems before and after the pandemic among Argentinians from different genders, age groups, income levels, and behaviors regarding the acquisition of alcoholic beverages. Through an online survey 1446 participants were assessed regarding four alcohol consumption dimensions (frequency, quantity, heavy episodic drinking -HED- and alcohol-related problems) three months prior and after the first cases in the country and subsequent lockdown measures. Overall, participants reported small reductions for usual consumption and moderate ones for HED and related problems. As expected, very high reductions were found for those underage (14 to 18 years), and young adults (19 to 24 years). Those who had an increase in income after the pandemic did not report changes in consumption, while those whose income remained equal or lowered reported reductions. Those who did not report special behaviors to acquire alcohol (e.g. pre-stocking) informed decreases in consumption compared to those who did. This study provides new evidence on the impact of environmental factors in public health, suggesting restricted access to alcohol generates a significant decrease in alcohol consumption and related problems.

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