The use of social contact data to monitor behavioral changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic initiated an unprecedented global health crisis that has profoundly transformed various aspects of human life. One of the most prominent effects was the disruption of social interactions. During a pandemic, individuals may change their behavior either due to Government-imposed restrictions or spontaneously to reduce individual risk. However, such an abrupt change in behavior could have an impact beyond the pandemic, raising the question of whether these behavioral modifications are enduring, leading to a "new normal" in social interactions. In this presentation, I will delve into the practical application of social contact data for monitoring changes in population mixing during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily focusing on the CoMix study. This comprehensive study, spanning over 20 European countries, played a pivotal role in assessing the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies. I will show results on the main determinants of social interactions during the pandemic, particularly the role of vaccination status and risk perception in modulating individuals’ behavior. I will then discuss the enduring implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on social mixing and how models of infectious diseases in the years to come should account for such long-term changes.