January 8, 2021

Effectiveness of Physical Distancing: Staying 6 Feet Over to Put Respiratory Viruses 6 Feet Under

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Public Health Policy and Practice

Keywords (Tags): masks, non-pharm interventions, public health

Results from an analysis of 13,324 nasopharyngeal swabs collected at a single hospital in Arizona between January 1, 2017, and July 31, 2020, found a significant reduction in the detection of respiratory viruses other than SARS-CoV-2, coinciding with the implementation of distancing and masking policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The average monthly positivity rate for the months between April and July declined from 25% for 2017–2019 to 2% in the same period of 2020. However, it is not clear what proportions of the observed declines in testing and positivity were due to non-pharmaceutical interventions, since the COVID-19 pandemic may also be causing reluctance to seek medical care.

Freeman et al. (Jan 1, 2021). Effectiveness of Physical Distancing: Staying 6 Feet Over to Put Respiratory Viruses 6 Feet Under. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.10.040