February 6, 2020

Nonpharmaceutical measures for pandemic influenza in nonhealthcare settings—social distancing measures

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

The CDC published three early release articles in Emerging Infectious Diseases on nonpharmaceutical measures for pandemic influenza in nonhealthcare settings. Given similarities in modes of transmission and potentially effective prevention strategies, these articles may inform current 2019-nCoV policies.

• Contact tracing was deemed useful early in an epidemic, or for specific, vulnerable populations, decreasing in utility as disease becomes more widespread.
• Various social distancing measures were assessed across observational studies.
  • Isolation practices focused on home isolation based on feasibility constraints with using medical settings. Isolation in the home is considered a useful strategy, though the degree of potential asymptomatic transmission influences this observation.
  • Workplace measures (e.g., teleworking) and school closures were generally found to be weak or ineffective measures in the context of existing spread (preemptive school closures being a possible exception). School closures may also inequitably impact vulnerable populations.
  • Avoiding crowding through bans on public gatherings were considered difficult to implement and assess.

Fong MW, et al. (Feb 6, 2020). Nonpharmaceutical measures for pandemic influenza in nonhealthcare settings—social distancing measures. Emerg Infect Dis. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2605.190995