Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online survey
Objectives To quantify and characterise non-household contact and to identify the effect of shielding and isolating on contact patterns.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting and participants Anyone living in the UK was eligible to take part in the study. We recorded 5143 responses to the online quest...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2022-12-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/12/e059231.full |
| _version_ | 1811184447209340928 |
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| author | Chris Jewell Jonathan M Read Jessica RE Bridgen |
| author_facet | Chris Jewell Jonathan M Read Jessica RE Bridgen |
| author_sort | Chris Jewell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives To quantify and characterise non-household contact and to identify the effect of shielding and isolating on contact patterns.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting and participants Anyone living in the UK was eligible to take part in the study. We recorded 5143 responses to the online questionnaire between 28 July 2020 and 14 August 2020.Outcome measures Our primary outcome was the daily non-household contact rate of participants. Secondary outcomes were propensity to leave home over a 7 day period, whether contacts had occurred indoors or outdoors locations visited, the furthest distance travelled from home, ability to socially distance and membership of support bubble.Results The mean rate of non-household contacts per person was 2.9 d-1. Participants attending a workplace (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 3.33, 95% CI 3.02 to 3.66), self-employed (aIRR 1.63, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.87) or working in healthcare (aIRR 5.10, 95% CI 4.29 to 6.10) reported significantly higher non-household contact rates than those working from home. Participants self-isolating as a precaution or following Test and Trace instructions had a lower non-household contact rate than those not self-isolating (aIRR 0.58, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.79). We found limited evidence that those shielding had reduced non-household contacts compared with non-shielders.Conclusion The daily rate of non-household interactions remained lower than prepandemic levels measured by other studies, suggesting continued adherence to social distancing guidelines. Individuals attending a workplace in-person or employed as healthcare professionals were less likely to maintain social distance and had a higher non-household contact rate, possibly increasing their infection risk. Shielding and self-isolating individuals required greater support to enable them to follow the government guidelines and reduce non-household contact and therefore their risk of infection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:12:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b8076944f184955b2af35e3886a61e5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:12:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b8076944f184955b2af35e3886a61e52022-12-22T04:22:30ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-12-01121210.1136/bmjopen-2021-059231Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online surveyChris Jewell0Jonathan M Read1Jessica RE Bridgen23 CHICAS, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UKsenior lecturer in epidemiology and biostatisticsLancaster Medical School, Lancaster University Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster, UKObjectives To quantify and characterise non-household contact and to identify the effect of shielding and isolating on contact patterns.Design Cross-sectional study.Setting and participants Anyone living in the UK was eligible to take part in the study. We recorded 5143 responses to the online questionnaire between 28 July 2020 and 14 August 2020.Outcome measures Our primary outcome was the daily non-household contact rate of participants. Secondary outcomes were propensity to leave home over a 7 day period, whether contacts had occurred indoors or outdoors locations visited, the furthest distance travelled from home, ability to socially distance and membership of support bubble.Results The mean rate of non-household contacts per person was 2.9 d-1. Participants attending a workplace (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 3.33, 95% CI 3.02 to 3.66), self-employed (aIRR 1.63, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.87) or working in healthcare (aIRR 5.10, 95% CI 4.29 to 6.10) reported significantly higher non-household contact rates than those working from home. Participants self-isolating as a precaution or following Test and Trace instructions had a lower non-household contact rate than those not self-isolating (aIRR 0.58, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.79). We found limited evidence that those shielding had reduced non-household contacts compared with non-shielders.Conclusion The daily rate of non-household interactions remained lower than prepandemic levels measured by other studies, suggesting continued adherence to social distancing guidelines. Individuals attending a workplace in-person or employed as healthcare professionals were less likely to maintain social distance and had a higher non-household contact rate, possibly increasing their infection risk. Shielding and self-isolating individuals required greater support to enable them to follow the government guidelines and reduce non-household contact and therefore their risk of infection.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/12/e059231.full |
| spellingShingle | Chris Jewell Jonathan M Read Jessica RE Bridgen Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online survey BMJ Open |
| title | Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online survey |
| title_full | Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online survey |
| title_fullStr | Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online survey |
| title_short | Social mixing patterns in the UK following the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, July–August 2020: a cross-sectional online survey |
| title_sort | social mixing patterns in the uk following the relaxation of covid 19 pandemic restrictions july august 2020 a cross sectional online survey |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/12/e059231.full |
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