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

• DOI: 10.3201/eid2702.203412
• Publication Date: 2021-01-19T03:06:30Z
• Authors: Vana Sypsa; Sotirios Roussos; Dimitrios Paraskevis; Theodore Lytras; Sotirios Tsiodras; Angelos Hatzakis
• Keywords: Social distance; Case fatality rate; Attack rate; Basic reproduction number; Distancing

Greece imposed a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 to mitigate transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 during the first epidemic wave. We conducted survey on age-specific social contact patterns assess effects physical distancing measures and used susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model simulate epidemic. Because multiple were implemented simultaneously, we assessed their overall contribution each measure. Before implemented, estimated basic reproduction number (R0) was 2.38 (95% CI 2.01-2.80). During lockdown, daily contacts decreased by 86.9% R0 81.0% credible interval [CrI] 71.8%-86.0%); measure 10%-24%. By April 26, attack rate 0.12% CrI 0.06%-0.26%), one lowest Europe, infection fatality ratio 1.12% 0.55%-2.31%). Multiple contained wave Greece.