Abstract
To evaluate the effect of physical distancing and school reopening in Brussels between August and November 2020, we monitored changes in the number of reported contacts per SARS-CoV-2 case and associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The second COVID-19 pandemic wave in Brussels was the result of increased social contact across all ages following school reopening. Physical distancing measures including closure of bars and restaurants, and limiting close contacts, while primary and secondary schools remained open, reduced social mixing and controlled SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Highlights
Percentage of reported cases per age group over timeAmong 2,387 primary–secondary case pairs identified during the period 1 August to 30 November, transmission within the same age group was predominant (33.4%, 797/2,387)
Belgium reported per capita the highest number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related deaths and near highest number of cases worldwide and was heavily affected during Europe’s first and second pandemic wave, reporting a total of 21,634 deaths and more than 700,000 cases on 13 February 2021 [1]
An increase in COVID-19 cases in July 2020 in Antwerp, Belgium’s second largest city, was reverted following a provincial ban on indoor events involving more than 100 people, a curfew, mandatory teleworking, mandatory wearing of face masks, and a national limit of five close contacts per household
Summary
Among 2,387 primary–secondary case pairs identified during the period 1 August to 30 November, transmission within the same age group was predominant (33.4%, 797/2,387). Infections originating from 10–19-year-olds were seldom recorded in August and November when schools were closed but testing of this group was low at these times as well (Figure 4A, Supplementary Figure S3). SARS-CoV-2 case reports among 10–19-year-olds increased throughout August and September (Figure 1B), coinciding with an increasing testing rate in this age group (spearman rank correlation coefficient = 0.74; p value < 0.001; Supplementary Figure S2). At the time schools reopened (1 September), we did not observe any significant change in the proportion of 10–19-year-olds among all diagnosed cases (adjusted for 4 days reporting delay; Poisson regression risk ratio 1.23; 95% CI: 0.79–1.94; Supplementary Figure S5). The proportion of adults 70 years or older who tested positive increased from 5.2% (727/13,872) during the first 2 weeks of Figure 2 Weekly mean number of contacts reported per SARS-CoV-2 case (excluding cases not reporting any contacts), by age group, Brussels region, Belgium, 1 August–12 November 2020 (n = 24,166)
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