Quantifying individual-level heterogeneity in infectiousness and susceptibility through household studies.

ABSTRACT: The spread of SARS-CoV-2, like that of many other pathogens, is governed by heterogeneity. "Superspreading," or "over-dispersion," is an important factor in transmission, yet it is hard to quantify. Estimates from contact tracing data are prone to potential biases due to the increased likelihood of detecting large clusters of cases, and may reflect variation in contact behavior more than biological heterogeneity. In contrast, the average number of secondary infections per contact is routinely estimated from household surveys, and these studies can minimize biases by testing all members of a household. However, the models used to analyze household transmission data typically assume that infectiousness and susceptibility are the same for all individuals or vary only with predetermined traits

SUBMITTER: Anderson TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10594662 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature