Ban on public gatherings can reduce COVID transmission by 24%

NEW DELHI: A new study published in the journal The Lancet states that banning public events can help curb coronavirus transmission by 24 per cent in less than a month. According to the modelling study, the ban is likely to bring down the reproduction number (R) – a key measure of virus transmission. An R value above one indicates a growing outbreak while an R value below one indicates a shrinking outbreak.

According to researchers, individual measures including closure of schools and workplaces, ban on public events and gatherings of more than 10 people, requirements to stay at home and internal movement limits are associated with a reduction in transmission of novel coronavirus. However, combined measures are more effective at reducing transmission, the researchers said.

Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted Professor Harish Nair, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, as saying that combining different measures showed the greatest effect on reducing the transmission of COVID-19. As we experience a resurgence of the virus, governments need to consider implementing a combination of measures to bring the R value under control.

“Our study can inform decisions on which measures to introduce or lift, and when to expect to see their effects, but this will also depend on the local context — the R number at any given time, the local healthcare capacity, and the social and economic impact of measures,” Nair said.

However, the study does not account for other potentially influential factors that have an impact on R — including, among other things, compliance with the interventions, changes in population behaviour, sub-national differences in R, or the effects of contact tracing and isolation – all of which vary by context.