Characterising non-household contact patterns relevant to respiratory transmission in the USA: analysis of a cross-sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Interpersonal contact has a crucial role in the transmission of infectious diseases. Characterising heterogeneity in contact patterns across individuals, time, and space is necessary to inform accurate estimates of transmission risk, particularly to explain superspreading, predict differences in vulnerability by age, and inform physical distancing policies. Current respiratory disease models often rely on data from the 2008 POLYMOD study conducted in Europe, which is now outdated and is potentially unrepresentative of behaviour in other geographical regions. We aimed to understand the variation in contact patterns in the USA across time, spatial scales, and demographic and social classifications during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to estimate what social behaviour looks li

SUBMITTER: Taube JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12447159 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature