Effects of Social Distancing Measures during the First Epidemic Wave of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Infection, Greece

Vana Sypsa, Sotirios Roussos, Dimitrios Paraskevis, Theodore Lytras, Sotirios Tsiodras, Angelos Hatzakis

2021Emerging infectious diseases40 citationsDOI Open Access PDF

Abstract

C oronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in China in December 2019 (1) and by September 14, 2020, had spread worldwide, causing >28.6 million cases and >917,000 deaths (2). To suppress the epidemic curve, public health authorities needed to use the strongest possible mitigation strategies until effective therapies and vaccines are available. Central mitigation strategies include nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as travel-related restrictions, case-based, and social distancing interventions. Social distancing aims to decrease social contacts and reduce transmission (3).

Topics & Concepts

Social distanceCase fatality rateMedicineTransmission (telecommunications)Attack rateBasic reproduction numberCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)DistancingDemographySevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)VirologyPediatricsEpidemiologyEnvironmental healthInternal medicineInfectious disease (medical specialty)PopulationDiseaseElectrical engineeringSociologyEngineeringCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesCOVID-19 and Mental HealthCOVID-19 Pandemic Impacts