biostudies-literatureDu ZNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaInnovation and Technology Commissione2213313119https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9860288biostudies-literatureUnknown119(48)Hong Kong has implemented stringent public health and social measures (PHSMs) to curb each of the four COVID-19 epidemic waves since January 2020. The third wave between July and September 2020 was brought under control within 2 m, while the fourth wave starting from the end of October 2020 has taken longer to bring under control and lasted at least 5 mo. Here, we report the pandemic fatigue as one of the potential reasons for the reduced impact of PHSMs on transmission in the fourth wave. We contacted either 500 or 1,000 local residents through weekly random-digit dialing of landlines and mobile telephones from May 2020 to February 2021. We analyze the epidemiological impact of pandemic fatigue by using the large and detailed cross-sectional telephone surveys to quantify risk perception aProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaPandemic fatigue impedes mitigation of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.PMC986028872104208AIR@InnoHKLam DMeyers LALeung GMWu PYang BFung ICDu ZGao HTsang TKAli STWang LPei SXiao JLau EHYLiao QShan SCowling BJfalsePandemic fatigue impedes mitigation of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.Hong Kong has implemented stringent public health and social measures (PHSMs) to curb each of the four COVID-19 epidemic waves since January 2020. The third wave between July and September 2020 was brought under control within 2 m, while the fourth wave starting from the end of October 2020 has taken longer to bring under control and lasted at least 5 mo. Here, we report the pandemic fatigue as one of the potential reasons for the reduced impact of PHSMs on transmission in the fourth wave. We contacted either 500 or 1,000 local residents through weekly random-digit dialing of landlines and mobile telephones from May 2020 to February 2021. We analyze the epidemiological impact of pandemic fatigue by using the large and detailed cross-sectional telephone surveys to quantify risk perception a2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Nov2025-04-06T19:15:08.689Z2025-04-06T19:15:08.689ZS-EPMC98602883641744510.1073/pnas.2213313119