tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Infection prevention in practice
. 2021 Jun 26;100158.
doi: 10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100158. Online ahead of print.
Spring 2020 COVID-19 community transmission behaviours around New York City medical facilities
Sophie-An Kingsbury Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Debra F Laefer[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Epidemiological studies have long been used for infection transmission prevention, but exact patterns of touch behaviours and transportation choices [contributors to community spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] were previously unknown.
Aim: To investigate individual risk behaviour levels with respect to local COVID-19 infection levels.
Methods: A longitudinal field study recorded behaviours of individuals leaving medical facilities following the New York State's PAUSE order. A subset of that data was analysed herein (4793 records, 16 facilities, 23[SUP]rd[/SUP] March-17[SUP]th[/SUP] May 2020). Touched objects and transportation choices were compared over time using Chi-squared tests (P<0.05 significance threshold).
Findings: Over 8 weeks, touching decreased progressively but for-hire vehicle usage (e.g. taxis) increased. In Week 1, 60.4% of subjects touched at least one environmental object [e.g. building door handle (21.8%); traffic light, railing or parking meter (5.6%)]; shared object (19.7%, e.g. vehicle door handle); personal object (13.9%, e.g. mobile phone); or themselves (0.7%). Certain touch points, however, remained throughout the study period. The use of public transportation remained steady (approximately 20%) throughout the study period; for-hire vehicle usage increased from 0% in Week 1-7% in Week 8, mirroring a 7% decrease in the use of personal vehicles (from 34% to 27%). Touching and transportation patterns varied significantly by facility.
Conclusions: Inconsistent trends in risk-related behaviours were documented over the 8-week period following issuance of the PAUSE order in New York City. While overall touching decreased by 25%, there was no appreciable change in the use of cell phones, and the use of for-hire vehicles increased by 7%.
Keywords: COVID-19; Community transmission; New York City; Public transportation; Touch behaviour.
. 2021 Jun 26;100158.
doi: 10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100158. Online ahead of print.
Spring 2020 COVID-19 community transmission behaviours around New York City medical facilities
Sophie-An Kingsbury Lee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Debra F Laefer[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34316553
- PMCID: PMC8233409
- DOI: 10.1016/j.infpip.2021.100158
Abstract
Background: Epidemiological studies have long been used for infection transmission prevention, but exact patterns of touch behaviours and transportation choices [contributors to community spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] were previously unknown.
Aim: To investigate individual risk behaviour levels with respect to local COVID-19 infection levels.
Methods: A longitudinal field study recorded behaviours of individuals leaving medical facilities following the New York State's PAUSE order. A subset of that data was analysed herein (4793 records, 16 facilities, 23[SUP]rd[/SUP] March-17[SUP]th[/SUP] May 2020). Touched objects and transportation choices were compared over time using Chi-squared tests (P<0.05 significance threshold).
Findings: Over 8 weeks, touching decreased progressively but for-hire vehicle usage (e.g. taxis) increased. In Week 1, 60.4% of subjects touched at least one environmental object [e.g. building door handle (21.8%); traffic light, railing or parking meter (5.6%)]; shared object (19.7%, e.g. vehicle door handle); personal object (13.9%, e.g. mobile phone); or themselves (0.7%). Certain touch points, however, remained throughout the study period. The use of public transportation remained steady (approximately 20%) throughout the study period; for-hire vehicle usage increased from 0% in Week 1-7% in Week 8, mirroring a 7% decrease in the use of personal vehicles (from 34% to 27%). Touching and transportation patterns varied significantly by facility.
Conclusions: Inconsistent trends in risk-related behaviours were documented over the 8-week period following issuance of the PAUSE order in New York City. While overall touching decreased by 25%, there was no appreciable change in the use of cell phones, and the use of for-hire vehicles increased by 7%.
Keywords: COVID-19; Community transmission; New York City; Public transportation; Touch behaviour.