Impact of COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Order on Transmission of Gastrointestinal Pathogens in Northern California

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, California was the first state to impose a strict shelter-in-place (SIP) order in March 2020 (1). Although enforced social distancing early in the pandemic delayed the spread of COVID-19 (1, 2), little is known about its potential impact on the incidence of other communicable infectious diseases. Such a natural experiment involving the society-wide cessation of human interaction outside the household is unique in modern history and could provide useful insight regarding transmission patterns of other pathogens circulating in the community. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of California’s SIP order on the gastrointestinal pathogen landscape dynamics in Northern California.