RAPID: Behavioral Drivers and Social Pathways in the Spread of the COVID-19 Omicron Variant

本项目研究了在近距离拥挤、混杂和相互作用的关键时刻，影响SARS-COV-2呼吸道病毒欧米克隆变体潜在传播的行为驱动因素和行为实时变化。它的具体目的是了解减少或增加COVID-19感染风险的仪式和旅行的社会复杂性。该研究的数据为寻求推进公共卫生干预措施的高优先级生物医学研究做出了智力贡献。这项研究将为制定公共卫生计划和指导方针提供关键信息，以解决社区面临的欧米克隆变异风险。该项目还为研究生和本科生提供严格、科学的数据收集和分析方法方面的培训。这项研究测试了现有的理论假设，即当文化、宗教和社会礼仪的团结和义务优先考虑时，人们会无视国家强制的卫生法规。高传染性欧米克隆变体在旅游旺季出现，为实时绘制传播路径提供了机会。这个项目将有关假日旅行和宗教仪式的短暂数据与社会网络信息和家庭人口统计数据进行三角测量。来自宗教仪式行为观察的数据将提供有关社会实践的信息，与国家强制规定的口罩、接种疫苗和社交距离的规定进行比较。有关社会网络的数据将提供有关潜在疾病传播的城乡流动途径的信息。来自访谈的数据将记录年龄、种族、性别、社会经济地位、婚姻状况、家庭规模，并将有助于绘制移民模式和社会网络。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project examines the behavioral drivers and real-time changes in behavior affecting the potential transmission of the Omicron variant off the SARS-COV-2 respiratory virus during critical moments of crowding, mingling, and interacting in close quarters. It aims specifically to understand the social complexities of ritual and travel that reduce or heighten the risk of COVID-19 infection. Data from the study contributes intellectually to high-priority biomedical research that seeks to advance public health interventions. This study will provide critical information for the development of public health programs and guidelines that address the risks communities face with the Omicron variant. The project also provides training for graduate and undergraduate students in methods of rigorous, scientific data collection and analysis.This study tests existing theoretical presumptions that people disregard state-mandated health regulations at moments when cultural, religious, and social rites of solidarity and obligations take priority. The emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant during a peak travel season provides an opportunity to map transmission pathways in real time. This project triangulates ephemeral data regarding holiday travel and religious ceremonies with social network information and household demographics. Data from behavioral observations of religious ceremonies will yield information about social practices compared with state-mandated regulations of masking, vaccinating, and social distancing. Data regarding social networks will yield information about linked urban-rural migrant pathways for potential disease transmission. Data from interviews will record age, ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, marital status, family size, and will aid in mapping migratory patterns and social networks.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.