Drivers of SARS-CoV-2 testing behaviour: a modelling study using nationwide testing data in England.
Nat Commun
; 14(1): 2148, 2023 04 14.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2297890
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, national testing programmes were conducted worldwide on unprecedented scales. While testing behaviour is generally recognised as dynamic and complex, current literature demonstrating and quantifying such relationships is scarce, despite its importance for infectious disease surveillance and control. Here, we characterise the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, disease susceptibility/severity, risk perception, and public health measures on SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing behaviour in England over 20 months of the pandemic, by linking testing trends to underlying epidemic trends and contextual meta-data within a systematic conceptual framework. The best-fitting model describing SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing behaviour explained close to 80% of the total deviance in NHS test data. Testing behaviour showed complex associations with factors reflecting transmission level, disease susceptibility/severity (e.g. age, dominant variant, and vaccination), public health measures (e.g. testing strategies and lockdown), and associated changes in risk perception, varying throughout the pandemic and differing between infected and non-infected people.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Systematic review/Meta Analysis
Topics:
Vaccines
/
Variants
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Nat Commun
Journal subject:
Biology
/
Science
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S41467-023-37813-1
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