TY - JOUR AU - Pung, Rachael AU - Firth, Josh A. AU - Spurgin, Lewis G. AU - Singapore CruiseSafe Working Group AU - CMMID COVID-19 Working Group AU - Lee, Vernon J. AU - Kucharski, Adam J. PY - 2022 DA - April TI - Using high-resolution contact networks to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 transmission and control in large-scale multi-day events JO - Nature Communications VL - 13 IS - 1 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29522-y AB - The emergence of highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants has created a need to reassess the risk posed by increasing social contacts as countries resume pre-pandemic activities, particularly in the context of resuming large-scale events over multiple days. To examine how social contacts formed in different activity settings influences interventions required to control Delta variant outbreaks, we collected high-resolution data on contacts among passengers and crew on cruise ships and combined the data with network transmission models. We found passengers had a median of 20 (IQR 10–36) unique close contacts per day, and over 60% of their contact episodes were made in dining or sports areas where mask wearing is typically limited. In simulated outbreaks, we found that vaccination coverage and rapid antigen tests had a larger effect than mask mandates alone, indicating the importance of combined interventions against Delta to reduce event risk in the vaccine era. PB - Springer Nature UR - https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/f9fb96ff-ce4e-4a5d-9204-1f5b856d97eb KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19) ER