RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The mobility gap: estimating mobility thresholds required to control SARS-CoV-2 in Canada
JF Canadian Medical Association Journal
JO CMAJ
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP cmaj.210132
DO 10.1503/cmaj.210132
A1 Kevin A. Brown
A1 Jean-Paul R. Soucy
A1 Sarah A. Buchan
A1 Shelby L. Sturrock
A1 Isha Berry
A1 Nathan M. Stall
A1 Peter Jüni
A1 Amir Ghasemi
A1 Nicholas Gibb
A1 Derek R. MacFadden
A1 Nick Daneman
YR 2021
UL http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2021/04/07/cmaj.210132.abstract
AB Background: Nonpharmaceutical interventions remain the primary means of controlling severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) until vaccination coverage is sufficient to achieve herd immunity. We used anonymized smartphone mobility measures to quantify the mobility level needed to control SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., mobility threshold), and the difference relative to the observed mobility level (i.e., mobility gap). Methods: We conducted a time-series study of the weekly incidence of SARSCoV-2 in Canada from Mar. 15, 2020, to Mar. 6, 2021. The outcome was weekly growth rate, defined as the ratio of cases in a given week versus the previous week. We evaluated the effects of average time spent outside the home in the previous 3 weeks using a log-normal regression model, accounting for province, week and mean temperature. We calculated the SARS-CoV-2 mobility threshold and gap.Results: Across the 51-week study period, a total of 888 751 people were infected with SARS-CoV-2. Each 10% increase in the mobility gap was associated with a 25% increase in the SARS-COV-2 weekly case growth rate (ratio 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.20–1.29). Compared to the prepandemic baseline mobility of 100%, the mobility threshold was highest in the summer (69%; interquartile range [IQR] 67%–70%), and dropped to 54% in winter 2021 (IQR 52%–55%); a mobility gap was present in Canada from July 2020 until the last week of December 2020.Interpretation: Mobility strongly and consistently predicts weekly case growth, and low levels of mobility are needed to control SARS-CoV-2 through spring 2021. Mobility measures from anonymized smartphone data can be used to guide provincial and regional loosening and tightening of physical distancing measures.