The Australian government swift interventions and actions early to the COVID 19 epidemicincluded enforced quarantine, isolation, varying degrees of social and physicaldistancing measures, travel restrictions, community level testing and enhanced contacttracing models which effected the trajectory of the epidemic impact. While the search foreffective therapeutics and vaccines continues, it is important to understand how toeffectively implement and optimise the current public health interventions available;application of traditional contact tracing , contributions of new contact tracing mobilephone applications, community level testing and use of specific fit for purposediagnostic tests; to screen, detect and provide evidence of infection clearance.While the suppression measures have been effective on disease transmission rates, it hashad economic, social and non COVID-19 health costs impacts. As community restrictionschange it will be important to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these keyinterventions. This is a longitudinal study that will follow the experience and behaviorsof 2 key risk populations impacted by COVID-19 transmission containment measures.
This is a mixed methods longitudinal study of a cohort of 1000 participants for a 18
month period. Victorian adults from three key risk populations will be recruited into two
longitudinal cohort groups. It will follow the experiences and behaviors of the groups;
Recruitment group 1/Seed set 1 - recently diagnosed 'COVID-19 cases' (Group 1) and their
social network with up to 2 waves of /Key people, will be followed up for 1 month
initially with specific monitoring tools before they will transition into ongoing follow
up and monitoring as recruitment group 2 Recruitment group 2/Seed set 2 - people from the
general community that are not currently infected with COVID19 'Group 2' that are
practicing physical distancing and represent specific key risk groups, and their social
network with up to 2 waves of Key people.
Over sampling of vulnerable populations including people with disabilities, single
parents and people living alone will be conducted across all groups. Individuals may be
invited to participate in more than one cohort when they change between risk population
definitions.
The project aims to meet the following objectives using a longitudinal cohort design and
a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative tools to enable us to assess changes
within individuals over time and to assess the influence of social networks on their
health, well-being, attitudes and perceptions.
Objectives of the study are:
1. To assess adherence to government intervention strategies (i.e. early testing,
isolation and physical distancing) and identify factors that promote/inhibit
compliance to intervention strategies designed to reduce transmission.
2. To better understand, assess and monitor the unintended health, social and economic
consequences of the government interventions to control COVID-19 transmission
3. To collect and collate empirical data regarding transmissions dynamics, social
contacts and mixing patterns of COVID19 cases , their contacts and key vulnerable
groups to develop and refine mathematical models that will improve the precision and
timeliness of dynamic transmission estimates.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Community participants
Exclusion Criteria:
- Unable to provide consent
The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Margaret Hellard, Principal Investigator
The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health