Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing
The newly emergent human virus SARS-CoV-2 is resulting in high fatality rates and incapacitated health systems. Preventing further transmission is a priority. We analyzed key parameters of epidemic spread to estimate the contribution of different transmission routes and determine requirements for ca...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Association for the Advancement of Science
2020
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| _version_ | 1826257632910901248 |
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| author | Ferretti, L Wymant, C Kendall, M Zhao, L Nurtay, A Parker, M Abeler-Dörner, L Bonsall, D Fraser, C |
| author_facet | Ferretti, L Wymant, C Kendall, M Zhao, L Nurtay, A Parker, M Abeler-Dörner, L Bonsall, D Fraser, C |
| author_sort | Ferretti, L |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The newly emergent human virus SARS-CoV-2 is resulting in high fatality rates and incapacitated health systems. Preventing further transmission is a priority. We analyzed key parameters of epidemic spread to estimate the contribution of different transmission routes and determine requirements for case isolation and contact-tracing needed to stop the epidemic. We conclude that viral spread is too fast to be contained by manual contact tracing, but could be controlled if this process was faster, more efficient and happened at scale. A contact-tracing App which builds a memory of proximity contacts and immediately notifies contacts of positive cases can achieve epidemic control if used by enough people. By targeting recommendations to only those at risk, epidemics could be contained without need for mass quarantines (‘lock-downs’) that are harmful to society. We discuss the ethical requirements for an intervention of this kind. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T18:21:15Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:065f6bb1-b06d-4fe5-bb12-a78085d2924e |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T18:21:15Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:065f6bb1-b06d-4fe5-bb12-a78085d2924e2022-03-26T09:02:14ZQuantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracingJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:065f6bb1-b06d-4fe5-bb12-a78085d2924eEnglishSymplectic ElementsAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science2020Ferretti, LWymant, CKendall, MZhao, LNurtay, AParker, MAbeler-Dörner, LBonsall, DFraser, CThe newly emergent human virus SARS-CoV-2 is resulting in high fatality rates and incapacitated health systems. Preventing further transmission is a priority. We analyzed key parameters of epidemic spread to estimate the contribution of different transmission routes and determine requirements for case isolation and contact-tracing needed to stop the epidemic. We conclude that viral spread is too fast to be contained by manual contact tracing, but could be controlled if this process was faster, more efficient and happened at scale. A contact-tracing App which builds a memory of proximity contacts and immediately notifies contacts of positive cases can achieve epidemic control if used by enough people. By targeting recommendations to only those at risk, epidemics could be contained without need for mass quarantines (‘lock-downs’) that are harmful to society. We discuss the ethical requirements for an intervention of this kind. |
| spellingShingle | Ferretti, L Wymant, C Kendall, M Zhao, L Nurtay, A Parker, M Abeler-Dörner, L Bonsall, D Fraser, C Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing |
| title | Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing |
| title_full | Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing |
| title_short | Quantifying SARS-CoV-2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing |
| title_sort | quantifying sars cov 2 transmission suggests epidemic control with digital contact tracing |
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