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What are contact matrices

  • Estimates of the numbers of contact between individuals in various categories
  • Used in models to investigate:
    • Effect of NPIs
    • Understand effects of demographic changes
    • “More accurately” estimate transmission

But how do they come about!?

Contact diary studies

Contact diary studies follow individuals and ask them:

  • how many contacts of a certain type,
  • the duration of contact,
  • the location of the contact,
  • the frequency of the contact

They are undoubtedly the gold standard for data on the number of contacts.

But they are prohibitively expensive, and logistically very challenging.

POLYMOD

Published in 2008, Mossong et. al undertook a contact diary study of 7290 participants across Europe.

It remains the most widely cited contact diary study.