Dataset Information

Reduction of COVID-19 Incidence and Nonpharmacologic Interventions: Analysis Using a US County-Level Policy Data Set.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Worldwide, nonpharmacologic interventions (NPIs) have been the main tool used to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes social distancing measures (closing businesses, closing schools, and quarantining symptomatic persons) and contact tracing (tracking and following exposed individuals). While preliminary research across the globe has shown these policies to be effective, there is currently a lack of information on the effectiveness of NPIs in the United States.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to create a granular NPI data set at the county level and then analyze the relationship between NPI policies and changes in reported COVID-19 cases.

Methods

Using a standardized crowdsourcing methodology, we collected time-series data on 7 key NPIs for 1320 US counties.

Results

This open-source data set is the largest and most comprehensive collection of county NPI policy data and meets the need for higher-resolution COVID-19 policy data. Our analysis revealed a wide variation in county-level policies both within and among states (P<.001). We identified a correlation between workplace closures and lower growth rates of COVID-19 cases (P=.004). We found weak correlations between shelter-in-place enforcement and measures of Democratic local voter proportion (R=0.21) and elected leadership (R=0.22).

Conclusions

This study is the first large-scale NPI analysis at the county level demonstrating a correlation between NPIs and decreased rates of COVID-19. Future work using this data set will explore the relationship between county-level policies and COVID-19 transmission to optimize real-time policy formulation.

SUBMITTER: Ebrahim S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7755429 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Reduction of COVID-19 Incidence and Nonpharmacologic Interventions: Analysis Using a US County-Level Policy Data Set.

Ebrahim Senan S Ashworth Henry H Noah Cray C Kadambi Adesh A Toumi Asmae A Chhatwal Jagpreet J

Journal of medical Internet research 20201221 12

<h4>Background</h4>Worldwide, nonpharmacologic interventions (NPIs) have been the main tool used to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes social distancing measures (closing businesses, closing schools, and quarantining symptomatic persons) and contact tracing (tracking and following exposed individuals). While preliminary research across the globe has shown these policies to be effective, there is currently a lack of information on the effectiveness of NPIs in the United States.<h4>Obje ...[more]

PMID: 33302253

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Dataset Information

Reduction of COVID-19 Incidence and Nonpharmacologic Interventions: Analysis Using a US County-Level Policy Data Set.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Reduction of COVID-19 Incidence and Nonpharmacologic Interventions: Analysis Using a US County-Level Policy Data Set.

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