A new perspective from time use research on the effects of social restrictions on COVID-19 behavioral infection risk.

Jonathan Gershuny,Juana Lamote De Grignon,Almudena Sevilla,Pierre Walthery,Marga Vega-Rapun,Teresa Harms,Oriel Sullivan,Francesca Foliano,Nicky Mccreesh

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0245551

Jonathan Gershuny, Juana Lamote De Grignon + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245551

Copy DOI

Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Feb 10, 2021
Citations: 21	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University College London

Abstract

We present findings from three waves of a population-representative, UK time-use diary survey conducted both pre- and in real time during full ‘lockdown’, and again following the easing of social restrictions. We used an innovative online diary instrument that has proved both reliable and quick-to-field. Combining diary information on activity, location, and co-presence to estimate infection risks associated with daily behavior, we show clear changes in risk-associated behavior between the pre, full-lockdown and post full-lockdown periods. We document a shift from more to less risky daily behavior patterns (combinations of activity/location/co-presence categories) between the pre-pandemic pattern and full lockdown in May/June 2020, followed by a reversion (although not a complete reversal) of those patterns in August 2020 following the end of the first lockdown. Because, in general, a populations’ time use changes relatively slowly, the behavioral changes revealed may be interpreted as a consequence of the UK COVID-19 lockdown social restrictions and their subsequent relaxation.

Highlights

Governments around the world are urgently redesigning social distancing measures as they assess the trade-offs between economic and psychological distress and the need to avoid resurgences in COVID-19
Using an online time-use diary survey first deployed in the UK in 2016, conducted in real time during the period of full lockdown and again following the easing of social restrictions in July 2020, we provide an overview of changing behaviors associated with infection risk both prior to, and during, recent phases of social restrictions
The behavioral changes associated with various stages of social restrictions can be clearly seen from this graphic

Summary

Introduction

Governments around the world are urgently redesigning social distancing measures as they assess the trade-offs between economic and psychological distress and the need to avoid resurgences in COVID-19. At a time when there is still limited capacity in respect both of immunization and track-trace technology, governments must continue to rely on changes in people’s daily behaviors to contain the virus. In this paper we introduce a new time use based approach enabling policy-makers to assess and quantify changes in daily behaviors following the imposition of social restrictions, and the impact they are likely to have on overall behavioral-associated risks. Using an online time-use diary survey first deployed in the UK in 2016, conducted in real time during the period of full lockdown (late May 2020) and again following the easing of social restrictions in July 2020, we provide an overview of changing behaviors associated with infection risk both prior to, and during, recent phases of social restrictions.

Methods

Results

Conclusion