Pandemic fatigue and attenuated impact of avoidance behaviours against COVID-19 transmission in Hong Kong by cross-sectional telephone surveys.
BMJ Open
; 11(12): e055909, 2021 12 20.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1723806
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
This study aims to explore the attenuated impact of reported avoidance behaviours adherence on the transmission of COVID-19 through cross-sectional surveys in Hong Kong, in order to make up for the lack of research on avoidance behaviours fatigue.DESIGN:
40 cross-sectional telephone surveys.SETTING:
All districts in Hong Kong.PARTICIPANTS:
31 332 Cantonese or English-speaking participants at age of 18 years or above.METHODS:
We collected data on behaviours and estimated the average effective reproduction number ([Formula see text]) among the Hong Kong adult population during the COVID-19 epidemic wave in November-December 2020 and compared with the preceding epidemic in June-July 2020.RESULTS:
We observed a reduction in adherence to voluntary avoidance behaviours due to pandemic fatigue, but continued adherence to regulated avoidance behaviours. The average [Formula see text] during the post-work from home period was higher in November-December wave with estimated [Formula see text] of 0.81 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.87) compared with the June-July wave with an [Formula see text] of 0.67 (95% CI 0.60 to 0.75).CONCLUSIONS:
The declined effectiveness of social distancing interventions in reducing COVID-19 transmission was associated with fatigue with voluntary avoidance behaviours in Hong Kong population, implying a need for the government to reinvigorate the public to maintain effective pandemic control.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
BMJ Open
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Bmjopen-2021-055909
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