Mobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. Counties
Abstract Background Significant immune escape by the Omicron variant, along with the emergence of widespread worry fatigue, have called into question the robustness of the previously observed relation between population mobility and COVID-19 incidence. Methods We employed principal component analysi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Infectious Diseases |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07666-y |
| _version_ | 1828358269133914112 |
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| author | Jeffrey E. Harris |
| author_facet | Jeffrey E. Harris |
| author_sort | Jeffrey E. Harris |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Significant immune escape by the Omicron variant, along with the emergence of widespread worry fatigue, have called into question the robustness of the previously observed relation between population mobility and COVID-19 incidence. Methods We employed principal component analysis to construct a one-dimensional summary indicator of six Google mobility categories. We related this mobility indicator to case incidence among 111 of the most populous U.S. counties during the Omicron surge from December 2021 through February 2022. Results Reported COVID-19 incidence peaked earlier and declined more rapidly among those counties exhibiting more extensive decline in mobility between December 20 and January 3. Based upon a fixed-effects, longitudinal cohort model, we estimated that every 1% decline in mobility between December 20 and January 3 was associated with a 0.63% decline in peak incidence during the week ending January 17 (95% confidence interval, 0.40–0.86%). Based upon a cross-sectional analysis including mean household size and vaccination participation as covariates, we estimated that the same 1% decline in mobility was associated with a 0.36% decline in cumulative reported COVID-19 incidence from January 10 through February 28 (95% CI, 0.18–0.54%). Conclusion Omicron did not simply sweep through the U.S. population until it ran out of susceptible individuals to infect. To the contrary, a significant fraction managed to avoid infection by engaging in risk-mitigating behaviors. More broadly, the behavioral response to perceived risk should be viewed as an intrinsic component of the natural course of epidemics in humans. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:26:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b46a4431cc24af48b7d75a3eec2353f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:26:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b46a4431cc24af48b7d75a3eec2353f2022-12-22T02:15:09ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342022-08-0122111110.1186/s12879-022-07666-yMobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. CountiesJeffrey E. Harris0Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAbstract Background Significant immune escape by the Omicron variant, along with the emergence of widespread worry fatigue, have called into question the robustness of the previously observed relation between population mobility and COVID-19 incidence. Methods We employed principal component analysis to construct a one-dimensional summary indicator of six Google mobility categories. We related this mobility indicator to case incidence among 111 of the most populous U.S. counties during the Omicron surge from December 2021 through February 2022. Results Reported COVID-19 incidence peaked earlier and declined more rapidly among those counties exhibiting more extensive decline in mobility between December 20 and January 3. Based upon a fixed-effects, longitudinal cohort model, we estimated that every 1% decline in mobility between December 20 and January 3 was associated with a 0.63% decline in peak incidence during the week ending January 17 (95% confidence interval, 0.40–0.86%). Based upon a cross-sectional analysis including mean household size and vaccination participation as covariates, we estimated that the same 1% decline in mobility was associated with a 0.36% decline in cumulative reported COVID-19 incidence from January 10 through February 28 (95% CI, 0.18–0.54%). Conclusion Omicron did not simply sweep through the U.S. population until it ran out of susceptible individuals to infect. To the contrary, a significant fraction managed to avoid infection by engaging in risk-mitigating behaviors. More broadly, the behavioral response to perceived risk should be viewed as an intrinsic component of the natural course of epidemics in humans.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07666-yCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2Omicron variantGoogle mobility reportsprincipal componentsrisk-mitigating behavior |
| spellingShingle | Jeffrey E. Harris Mobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. Counties BMC Infectious Diseases COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant Google mobility reports principal components risk-mitigating behavior |
| title | Mobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. Counties |
| title_full | Mobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. Counties |
| title_fullStr | Mobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. Counties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. Counties |
| title_short | Mobility was a significant determinant of reported COVID-19 incidence during the Omicron Surge in the most populous U.S. Counties |
| title_sort | mobility was a significant determinant of reported covid 19 incidence during the omicron surge in the most populous u s counties |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant Google mobility reports principal components risk-mitigating behavior |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-022-07666-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeffreyeharris mobilitywasasignificantdeterminantofreportedcovid19incidenceduringtheomicronsurgeinthemostpopuloususcounties |