March 15, 2021

Limits of Lockdown Characterising Essential Contacts during Strict Physical Distancing

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Transmission

Keywords (Tags): transmission

• [Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] During the first lockdown in the UK, essential healthcare workers had 4.5 times as many contacts as non-essential workers (IRR = 4.4), while essential workers in other sectors like teaching and the police force had nearly three times as many contacts (IRR = 2.8), according to a study of participants in a longitudinal birth cohort (n = 6,807). The number of individuals in a household increased essential social contacts by 40%. There was an average 59% reduction in the daily number of contacts for individuals who reported self-isolating compared to those who did not (from 4.1 to 1.7). 

Thomas et al. (Mar 13, 2021). Limits of Lockdown Characterising Essential Contacts during Strict Physical Distancing. Pre-print downloaded Mar 15 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.12.21253484