Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42082766›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2026

Implications for distancing measures on in-person school and work attendance from Italian post-pandemic social contact data.

Lorenzo Lucchini, Valentina Marziano, Filippo Trentini, Chiara Chiavenna, Elena D'Agnese, Vittoria Offeddu, Mattia Manica, Piero Poletti, Duilio Balsamo, Giorgio Guzzetta and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Lorenzo Lucchini *DONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Valentina Marziano *Center for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2842-7906
Filippo TrentiniDepartment of Decision Science, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Chiara ChiavennaDONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Elena D'AgneseDONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Vittoria OffedduDONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Mattia ManicaCenter for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3709-1199
Piero PolettiCenter for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5453-5199
Duilio BalsamoDONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy.
Giorgio GuzzettaCenter for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9296-9470
Marco AjelliLaboratory for Computational Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Alessia MelegaroDONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milano, Italy. alessia.melegaro@unibocconi.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2221-8898
Stefano MerlerCenter for Health Emergencies, Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5117-0611

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe collection of updated post-COVID-19 data on social contacts is critical for future epidemiological assessment and evaluation of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

methodsWe conducted two waves of an online survey in Italy (March 2022 and March 2023), collecting representative data on direct (verbal/physical) and indirect (indoor co-location) contacts. Using a generalised linear mixed model, we analysed social contact determinants and the impact of work-from-home and distance learning on reducing a pathogen's reproduction number (R). Additionally, we calibrated an age-structured model to the 2023-2024 influenza A epidemic in Italy to explore the impact of alternative in-person attendance scenarios on infection attack rates.

resultsWe find that in-person attendance significantly increases contacts: adults attending in person have 1.69 times (95%CI: 1.55-1.83) more contacts than those staying home, while children/adolescents 2.36 (95%CI: 1.96-2.84). Limiting in-person work alone marginally affects R, whereas combining work-from-home with distance learning (from primary school onwards) reduces R by up to 23.2% (95%CI: 13.7-30.1%), with minimal additional benefit from suspending early childcare. In the influenza A case study, seasonal infection attack rates range from 14.7% (95%PI: 12.8-16.5%) under full in-person attendance to <0.2% under the most restrictive scenario. Moderate interventions (suspension of tertiary education and work-from-home) reduce attack rates by up to one fourth among adults (15-64 years) and one sixth among older individuals.

conclusionsThis study provides post-pandemic contact matrices for Italy, essential for modelling transmission of respiratory pathogens, and quantitative evidence on the epidemiological impact of targeted physical distancing measures, thereby supporting future policy design.

Identifiers

PMID42082766
PMCPMC13346911

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.