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. 2021 Feb;26(8):2000994.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.8.2000994.

Impact of physical distancing measures against COVID-19 on contacts and mixing patterns: repeated cross-sectional surveys, the Netherlands, 2016-17, April 2020 and June 2020

Jantien A Backer  1 , Liesbeth Mollema  1 , Eric Ra Vos  1 , Don Klinkenberg  1 , Fiona Rm van der Klis  1 , Hester E de Melker  1 , Susan van den Hof  1 , Jacco Wallinga  1   2
Affiliations

Impact of physical distancing measures against COVID-19 on contacts and mixing patterns: repeated cross-sectional surveys, the Netherlands, 2016-17, April 2020 and June 2020

Jantien A Backer et al. Euro Surveill. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV2; contact survey; coronavirus; mixing patterns; physical distancing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age and sex of survey participants, the Netherlands, (A) baseline survey 2016–17a, (B) April 2020 and (C) June 2020
Figure 2
Figure 2
Number of community contacts per survey participant, by age group, the Netherlands, baseline survey 2016–17a (n = 5,066), April 2020 (n = 2,069) and June 2020 (n = 6,300)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Fraction of close community contacts per survey participant, by age group, the Netherlands, June 2020 (n = 6,300)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Estimated contact matrices for all contacts, contacts in the community and contacts with household members, the Netherlands, baseline survey 2016–17a (n = 5,066), April 2020 (n = 2,069) and June 2020 (n = 6,300)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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