Use of Venn Diagrams to Evaluate Digital Contact Tracing: Results from a Panel Survey Analysis (Preprint)
BACKGROUND Mitigation of pandemic spread relies on targeted approaches aimed at preventing non-household interactions. Contact tracing in the form of digital proximity tracing (DPT) apps has been widely adopted in multiple countries due to its perceived added benefits of tracing speed and breadth in comparison to traditional manual contact tracing (MCT). Monitoring of user responses to exposure notifications (EN) can provide insights into the effect of DPT app use on managing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of DPT apps in users taking mitigative actions to reduce infection spread based on nationwide panel data on DPT app use in Switzerland. METHODS We assessed data from the COVID-19 Social Monitor, a nationwide panel study of Swiss residents that classified (a) non-users of the SwissCovid app, (b) users of the SwissCovid app and (c) users of the SwissCovid app who received exposure notifications (EN). A Venn diagram framework was applied to describe the (non-)overlap of these subpopulations with SARS-CoV-2 outcomes. RESULTS 12525 assessments of 2403 participants were included. DPT app users revealed higher adherence to preventive measures than app non-users. 75.9% (95% CI: 60.3-91.5%) of DPT app users revealed taking at least one mitigative action after receiving EN. 30.0% (95% CI: 11.9-54.3%) of the DPT app users also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 following receipt of EN, which is over three times more than DPT app users who did not receive EN (8.0%, 95% CI: 5.0-11.9%). CONCLUSIONS Response from three out of four individuals to EN reveals a possible contribution of DPT apps to users taking mitigative actions to limit SARS-CoV-2 spread. The analytic approach proposed in this study provides a foundation to researchers and health authorities to comprehensively assess population-level DPT app effectiveness by providing an intuitive framework for monitoring indicator construction. CLINICALTRIAL N/A