Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Euro Surveill. 2021 Feb;26(8). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.8.2000994.
BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented physical distancing measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2.AimTo measure the actual reduction of contacts when physical distancing measures are implemented.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out in the Netherlands in 2016-17, in which participants reported the number and age of their contacts the previous day. The survey was repeated among a subsample of the participants in April 2020, after strict physical distancing measures were implemented, and in an extended sample in June 2020, after some measures were relaxed.ResultsThe average number of community contacts per day was reduced from 14.9 (interquartile range (IQR): 4-20) in the 2016-17 survey to 3.5 (IQR: 0-4) after strict physical distancing measures were implemented, and rebounded to 8.8 (IQR: 1-10) after some measures were relaxed. All age groups restricted their community contacts to at most 5, on average, after strict physical distancing measures were implemented. In children, the number of community contacts reverted to baseline levels after measures were eased, while individuals aged 70 years and older had less than half their baseline levels.ConclusionStrict physical distancing measures greatly reduced overall contact numbers, which likely contributed to curbing the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Netherlands. However, age groups reacted differently when measures were relaxed, with children reverting to normal contact numbers and elderly individuals maintaining restricted contact numbers. These findings offer guidance for age-targeted measures in future waves of the pandemic.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，许多国家实施了身体距离措施以减少 SARS-CoV-2 的传播。
测量实施身体距离措施时接触减少的实际情况。
2016-17 年在荷兰进行了一项横断面调查，参与者报告了前一天的接触人数和年龄。在严格实施身体距离措施后，于 2020 年 4 月对参与者的子样本进行了重复调查，并在 2020 年 6 月放宽一些措施后对扩展样本进行了重复调查。
每天社区接触人数从 2016-17 年调查中的 14.9（四分位距 (IQR)：4-20）减少到严格实施身体距离措施后的 3.5（IQR：0-4），并在放宽一些措施后反弹至 8.8（IQR：1-10）。所有年龄组在严格实施身体距离措施后平均将社区接触人数限制在最多 5 人。在儿童中，放宽措施后，社区接触人数恢复到基线水平，而 70 岁及以上的个体接触人数不到基线水平的一半。
严格的身体距离措施大大减少了总体接触人数，这可能有助于遏制荷兰 COVID-19 疫情的第一波。然而，放宽措施后各年龄组的反应不同，儿童恢复到正常接触人数，而老年人保持限制接触人数。这些发现为未来疫情波次的有针对性的年龄措施提供了指导。
