Ending social confinement
Population lockdowns should last for at least 60 days to limit the spread of COVID-19 and help prevent or delay a second, larger wave of infections, according to a modeling study in Nature Human Behavior. Strategies that end social confinement gradually — as opposed to abruptly allowing moderate or large proportions of the population to return to typical activities — “always result in a lower number of infections and deaths,” the researchers conclude. They emphasize that testing and contact tracing will still be essential to keep transmissions down. In related news, the New York Times reports that 20% of all new COVID-19 infections on Sunday were in the U.S. — even though the country accounts for just 4.3% of the world’s population.
Ending social confinement study in Nature Human Behavior