South Africa
Overview of research project
We aim to identify the impact of government regulations for COVID-19 on social interaction and behaviour. To achieve this we will interview 400 residents of the Africa Health Research Institute Population Intervention Platform area in northern KwaZulu-Natal. These interviews will be repeated every two weeks up to eight times. We will collect information on the frequency and characteristics of social contacts during the Covid-19 epidemic, and assess how the effect of government policies varies by by age, gender, comorbidity and social position. We will compare these results to data from 2019 on other residents. These data will be used as inputs into age-structured models - thus informing decisions about changing lockdown levels and format, and informing the local community about how COVID-19 is affecting them and their families and neighbours.
Name of researcher/developer
Guy Harling
Primary organisation
Africa Health Research Institute
Opportunity type
Collaboration
Opportunity detail
The data collected will be useful inputs into existing age-structured models of human behaviour and infection spread. Colleagues with pre-existing models would be welcome to discuss collaboration to make models reflect real-world conditions.
Funding
Self-funded (e.g. from own or institutional resources)
Stage of development
Pilot in early June, plan to launch mid-June
Research Category
Epidemiology
Social Science