Nan Zhang1,2, Wei Jia2, Hao Lei3, Peihua Wang2, Pengcheng Zhao2, Yong Guo4, Chung-Hin Dung2, Zhongming Bu5, Peng Xue1, Jingchao Xie1, Yinping Zhang4, Reynold Cheng6, Yuguo Li2,7. 1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Built Environment and Energy Efficient Technology, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China. 2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China. 3. School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. 4. Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. 5. Department of Energy and Environmental System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China. 6. Department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 7. School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to threaten human life worldwide. We explored how human behaviors have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, and how the transmission of other respiratory diseases (eg, influenza) has been influenced by human behavior. METHODS: We focused on the spread of COVID-19 and influenza infections based on the reported COVID-19 cases and influenza surveillance data and investigated the changes in human behavior due to COVID-19 based on mass transit railway data and the data from a telephone survey. We did the simulation based on a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model to assess the risk reduction of influenza transmission caused by the changes in human behavior. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of passengers fell by 52.0% compared with the same period in 2019. Residents spent 32.2% more time at home. Each person, on average, came into close contact with 17.6 and 7.1 people per day during the normal and pandemic periods, respectively. Students, workers, and older people reduced their daily number of close contacts by 83.0%, 48.1%, and 40.3%, respectively. The close contact rates in residences, workplaces, places of study, restaurants, shopping centers, markets, and public transport decreased by 8.3%, 30.8%, 66.0%, 38.5%, 48.6%, 41.0%, and 36.1%, respectively. Based on the simulation, these changes in human behavior reduced the effective reproduction number of influenza by 63.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Human behaviors were significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Close contact control contributed more than 47% to the reduction in infection risk of COVID-19.
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to threaten human life worldwide. We explored how human behaviors have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, and how the transmission of other respiratory diseases (eg, influenza) has been influenced by human behavior. METHODS: We focused on the spread of COVID-19 and influenza infections based on the reported COVID-19 cases and influenza surveillance data and investigated the changes in human behavior due to COVID-19 based on mass transit railway data and the data from a telephone survey. We did the simulation based on a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model to assess the risk reduction of influenza transmission caused by the changes in human behavior. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of passengers fell by 52.0% compared with the same period in 2019. Residents spent 32.2% more time at home. Each person, on average, came into close contact with 17.6 and 7.1 people per day during the normal and pandemic periods, respectively. Students, workers, and older people reduced their daily number of close contacts by 83.0%, 48.1%, and 40.3%, respectively. The close contact rates in residences, workplaces, places of study, restaurants, shopping centers, markets, and public transport decreased by 8.3%, 30.8%, 66.0%, 38.5%, 48.6%, 41.0%, and 36.1%, respectively. Based on the simulation, these changes in human behavior reduced the effective reproduction number of influenza by 63.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Human behaviors were significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Close contact control contributed more than 47% to the reduction in infection risk of COVID-19.
Authors: Notice Ringa; Sarafa A Iyaniwura; Samara David; Mike A Irvine; Prince Adu; Michelle Spencer; Naveed Z Janjua; Michael C Otterstatter Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2022-05-03
Authors: Nan Zhang; Hao Lei; Li Li; Tianyi Jin; Xiyue Liu; Doudou Miao; Boni Su; Zhongming Bu; Lin Fan; Peng Xue; Jingchao Xie; Yuguo Li Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2021-12-21
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