Social contact patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 European countries - evidence from a two-year study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Most countries have enacted some restrictions to reduce social contacts to slow down disease transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. For nearly two years, individuals likely also adopted new behaviours to avoid pathogen exposure based on personal circumstances. We aimed to understand the way in which different factors affect social contacts - a critical step to improving future pandemic responses.

Methods

The analysis was based on repeated cross-sectional contact survey data collected in a standardized international study from 21 European countries between March 2020 and March 2022. We calculated the mean daily contacts reported using a clustered bootstrap by country and by settings (at home, at work, or in other settings). Where data were available, contact ra

SUBMITTER: Wong KLM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10132446 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature