Abstract
Identification of societal activities associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection may provide an evidence base for implementing preventive measures. Here, we investigated potential determinants for infection in Denmark in a situation where society was only partially open. We conducted a national matched case-control study. Cases were recent RT-PCR test-positives, while controls, individually matched on age, sex and residence, had not previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Questions concerned person contact and community exposures. Telephone interviews were performed over a 7-day period in December 2020. We included 300 cases and 317 controls and determined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) by conditional logistical regression with adjustment for household size and country of origin. Contact (OR 4.9, 95% CI 2.4-10) and close contact (OR 13, 95% CI 6.7-25) with a person with a known SARS-CoV-2 infection were main determinants. Contact most often took place in the household or work place. Community determinants included events with singing (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-4.1), attending fitness centres (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.8) and consumption of alcohol in a bar (OR 10, 95% CI 1.5-65). Other community exposures appeared not to be associated with infection, these included shopping at supermarkets, travel by public transport, dining at restaurants and private social events with few participants. Overall, the restrictions in place at the time of the study appeared to be sufficient to reduce transmission of disease in the public space, which instead largely took place following direct exposures to people with known SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Highlights
COVID-19, caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020 [1]
Throughout, we present matched odds ratios or odds ratios adjusted for the matching variables (OR) with 95% confidence intervals
Cases included in the study were older and more likely to be of Danish origin, compared to all who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the period (Table 1)
Summary
COVID-19, caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020 [1]. National and regional measures and restrictions have been introduced and gradually lifted and reintroduced following the development of the epidemic. Such measures and restrictions aim to reduce the number of contacts and have included limiting public gathering, encouraging working from home, closures of schools and higher education facilities, closure of public spaces and hospitality venues (e.g. restaurants, cultural and sports facilities) and mandatory mask use [6, 7]. The effect of the individual measures and restrictions on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is not measured and there is a need for more knowledge about the relative contribution of the various sources of community exposures in general so that target measures can be implemented correctly
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