The Effect of Movement Restrictions on the Spread of COVID-19 in Finland
Wanne, Valtteri (2023)
2023
Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20230829113261
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20230829113261
Tiivistelmä
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, led to the implementation of various restriction measures worldwide. This study evaluates the effectiveness of movement restrictions in controlling the spread of COVID-19, with a specific focus on Finland. The research addresses three main questions: 1) To what extent did the Uusimaa lockdown impact mobility? 2) Is there a relationship between change in mobility and the number of new cases? 3) Does the observed relationship between change in mobility and the number of new COVID-19 cases in Finland also hold true for Italy?
The study includes a case study of the Uusimaa lockdown in Finland and a complementary case study of the lockdown in Lombardy, Italy. Both studies assess outflowing mobility and new COVID-19 cases before, during, and after the lockdown. In Finland, traffic data from border monitoring systems and COVID-19 data from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) have been used. The Italian study utilizes anonymized mobile phone user data for mobility analysis and COVID-19 data from the Italian Civil Protection Department.
The results indicate that the Uusimaa lockdown significantly reduced outflowing mobility. Earlier recommendations and restrictions also influenced mobility. A positive association between mobility and new COVID-19 cases was observed at the start of the lockdown, with a lagged effect. However, no concurrent increase in cases occurred after the lockdown's lifting. The complementary Italian case study reinforces the findings from Finland, showing a similar relationship between changes in mobility and COVID-19 cases. Both countries experienced a decline in cases approximately two to three weeks after introducing movement restrictions. The research highlights the diminishing impact of movement restrictions on virus transmission as other restrictions are in place.
The Uusimaa case study results align with earlier European research, supporting the efficacy of movement restrictions in reducing human contact and mitigating the virus's spread. The study contributes to understanding the role of mobility in controlling COVID-19 transmission and provides valuable insights for future infectious disease outbreaks.
The study includes a case study of the Uusimaa lockdown in Finland and a complementary case study of the lockdown in Lombardy, Italy. Both studies assess outflowing mobility and new COVID-19 cases before, during, and after the lockdown. In Finland, traffic data from border monitoring systems and COVID-19 data from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) have been used. The Italian study utilizes anonymized mobile phone user data for mobility analysis and COVID-19 data from the Italian Civil Protection Department.
The results indicate that the Uusimaa lockdown significantly reduced outflowing mobility. Earlier recommendations and restrictions also influenced mobility. A positive association between mobility and new COVID-19 cases was observed at the start of the lockdown, with a lagged effect. However, no concurrent increase in cases occurred after the lockdown's lifting. The complementary Italian case study reinforces the findings from Finland, showing a similar relationship between changes in mobility and COVID-19 cases. Both countries experienced a decline in cases approximately two to three weeks after introducing movement restrictions. The research highlights the diminishing impact of movement restrictions on virus transmission as other restrictions are in place.
The Uusimaa case study results align with earlier European research, supporting the efficacy of movement restrictions in reducing human contact and mitigating the virus's spread. The study contributes to understanding the role of mobility in controlling COVID-19 transmission and provides valuable insights for future infectious disease outbreaks.