Respiratory Infectious Disease Transmission in a Nursing Home Based on Real Close-Contact Behaviors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Epidemiology
• Computer Vision

Background:

• Nursing homes are high-risk environments for infectious disease outbreaks due to close living quarters.
• Older adults are particularly vulnerable to respiratory infections, leading to high mortality rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify specific high-risk environments within nursing homes for infection transmission.
• To develop targeted intervention strategies based on the behavioral patterns of elderly residents.

Main Methods:

• Utilized non-intrusive RGB-D cameras and computer vision to capture close-contact behaviors of residents.
• Developed a close-contact transmission model for SARS-CoV-2, integrating resident behavior and aerosol emission data.
• Calculated individual viral exposure, infection risks, and evaluated intervention effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Canteen and painting rooms showed over 60% close-contact rates; billiard rooms had the highest face-to-face contact (23.5%).
• Hourly infection risks at 1% prevalence were 2.0% (canteen), 1.6% (painting room), and 0.5% (billiard room).
• N95 masks, surgical masks, and 1.5m distancing reduced infection risk by 94.1%, 52.1%, and 66.4%, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Elderly residents' close-contact behaviors are a major determinant of respiratory infection risk in nursing homes.
• Identified specific areas and behaviors contributing to high infection risk.
• Findings enable precise, behavior-based interventions to mitigate outbreaks in long-term care facilities.