Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

April 23, 2020

The association between age, COVID-19 symptoms, and social distancing behavior in the United States

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  • Findings from an online survey of 4,676 US adults show that: about 52% adults went out of their home the previous day, and on average had close contact with 1.9 non-household members; older people have significantly fewer close contacts than younger people; people experiencing shortness of breath are practicing more intense social distancing; and those with only fever and dry cough are not engaging in greater social distancing.
  • The authors recommend 2 policy changes based on these findings – 1) PH authorities should give clear guidance on what symptoms signal a strong likelihood of having COVID-19 and should lead to more intense social distancing, and 2) messaging should be clear regarding how people should respond if they have COVID-19 symptoms.

Canning et al. (Apr 18, 2020). The association between age, COVID-19 symptoms, and social distancing behavior in the United States. Pre-print downloaded Apr 23 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.19.20065219