Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis

Abstract To control the COVID-19 epidemic, the Japanese government and the local governments have repeatedly implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) throughout 2020–2022. Using Bayesian state-space mediation models, we examined the effect of repeated NPIs on infection spread mitigation,...

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Main Authors: Shohei Nagata, Yuta Takahashi, Hiroki M. Adachi, Glen D. Johnson, Tomoki Nakaya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78583-0
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author Shohei Nagata
Yuta Takahashi
Hiroki M. Adachi
Glen D. Johnson
Tomoki Nakaya
author_facet Shohei Nagata
Yuta Takahashi
Hiroki M. Adachi
Glen D. Johnson
Tomoki Nakaya
author_sort Shohei Nagata
collection DOAJ
description Abstract To control the COVID-19 epidemic, the Japanese government and the local governments have repeatedly implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) throughout 2020–2022. Using Bayesian state-space mediation models, we examined the effect of repeated NPIs on infection spread mitigation, mediated by human mobility changes in each prefecture during three epidemic phases: from April 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021; from March 1, 2021 to December 16, 2021; and from December 17, 2021 to December 31, 2022. In the first phase, controlling downtown populations at nighttime was effective in mitigating the infection spread in almost all prefectures. In the second and third phases, the effect was not clear, especially in metropolitan prefectures. Controlling visitors from the central prefectures of metropolitan areas was effective in mitigating infection spread in the surrounding prefectures during all phases. These results suggest that the local spread of infection can be mitigated by focusing on nighttime human mobility control in downtown areas before the epidemic spreads widely and transmission routes become more diverse, and that the geospatial spread of infection can be prevented by controlling the flows of people from large cities to other areas.
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spelling doaj-art-628e94fc28c54581920e3f5aeb1d75152024-11-10T12:19:18ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-11-0114111310.1038/s41598-024-78583-0Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysisShohei Nagata0Yuta Takahashi1Hiroki M. Adachi2Glen D. Johnson3Tomoki Nakaya4Co-creation Center for Disaster Resilience, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku UniversityGraduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku UniversityCo-creation Center for Disaster Resilience, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku UniversityDepartment of Environmental, Occupational and Geospatial Health Sciences, City University of New York School of Public HealthGraduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku UniversityAbstract To control the COVID-19 epidemic, the Japanese government and the local governments have repeatedly implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) throughout 2020–2022. Using Bayesian state-space mediation models, we examined the effect of repeated NPIs on infection spread mitigation, mediated by human mobility changes in each prefecture during three epidemic phases: from April 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021; from March 1, 2021 to December 16, 2021; and from December 17, 2021 to December 31, 2022. In the first phase, controlling downtown populations at nighttime was effective in mitigating the infection spread in almost all prefectures. In the second and third phases, the effect was not clear, especially in metropolitan prefectures. Controlling visitors from the central prefectures of metropolitan areas was effective in mitigating infection spread in the surrounding prefectures during all phases. These results suggest that the local spread of infection can be mitigated by focusing on nighttime human mobility control in downtown areas before the epidemic spreads widely and transmission routes become more diverse, and that the geospatial spread of infection can be prevented by controlling the flows of people from large cities to other areas.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78583-0
spellingShingle Shohei Nagata
Yuta Takahashi
Hiroki M. Adachi
Glen D. Johnson
Tomoki Nakaya
Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis
Scientific Reports
title Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis
title_full Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis
title_fullStr Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis
title_full_unstemmed Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis
title_short Local effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of COVID-19 spread through decreased human mobilities in Japan: a prefecture-level mediation analysis
title_sort local effects of non pharmaceutical interventions on mitigation of covid 19 spread through decreased human mobilities in japan a prefecture level mediation analysis
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78583-0
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