Social Distancing and SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Potential Early in the Epidemic in Finland.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Information about social mixing patterns under heavy social distancing is needed to model the impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions on SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Methods

We conducted a survey on daily person-to-person contacts during the early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Finland, one month after strong social distancing measures had been introduced nationwide. We defined a contact as exchange of at least a few words in proximity of another person. We also considered physical ("skin-to-skin") contacts separately. Based on 3,171 reported contacts by 1,320 participants of 1-79 years of age, we estimated age-stratified contact matrices essential in modeling virus transmission.

Results

Compared with contacts during prepandemic conditions, as learned fr

SUBMITTER: Auranen K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8174141 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature