Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX.
Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX.
Am J Infect Control. 2021 Jun;49(6):663-673. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.10.017. Epub 2020 Nov 4.
Decreasing facial contact takes on new urgency as society tries to stem the tide of COVID-19 spread. A better understanding of the pervasiveness of facial contact in social settings is required in order to then take steps to mitigate the action.
YouTube videos of random individuals were included in a behavioral observation study to document rates of contact to the eyes, nose, and mouth area. Factors including age, sex, the presence of eyewear or facial hair, distraction and fatigue were analyzed as possible contributing factors that increase likelihood of facial contact.
The median rate of facial contact was 22 contacts per hour. Men had a significantly higher rate of facial contact compared to women. Age, glasses, and presence of facial hair were not contributing factors. The mouth was the most frequently observed site of contact. Fatigue and distraction may increase rates of facial contact.
Changing personal behavior is a simple and cost-effective action that can be employed to reduce one's risk of acquiring an infectious disease. This study indicates that there are societal differences that put some individuals at higher risk of contracting infectious disease than others.
随着社会努力遏制 COVID-19 传播，减少面部接触变得尤为紧迫。为了采取措施减轻这种行为，我们需要更好地了解社交场合中面部接触的普遍性。
本行为观察研究纳入了随机个体的 YouTube 视频，以记录接触眼睛、鼻子和口腔区域的频率。分析了年龄、性别、是否戴眼镜或留胡须、分心和疲劳等因素，这些因素可能增加面部接触的可能性。
面部接触的中位数为每小时 22 次。男性的面部接触率明显高于女性。年龄、眼镜和胡须的存在并不是促成因素。口腔是最常被观察到的接触部位。疲劳和分心可能会增加面部接触的频率。
改变个人行为是一种简单且具有成本效益的行动，可以降低感染传染病的风险。本研究表明，社会差异使一些人比其他人更容易感染传染病。
