Table 2.

Key features to consider for outcomes for randomised trials of social distancing

Feature	Comment
Types of outcomes	Documented infections, hospitalisations or ICU hospitalisation for COVID-19, COVID-19 deaths, all deaths, quality of life indicators, impact on other diseases, impact on health utilisation, impact on social indicators (e.g. violence, unemployment)
Timing of measurement	Short-term, longer-term, determining carry-over effects and interactive effects from use of other interventions in parallel or in sequence
Data collection on outcomes	Passive, active, systematic, at different levels of intensity
Long-term relevance	Influence of short-term outcomes on longer-term prospects (e.g. few infections in the short term, but creating conditions for many more in the long term)
Cost-effectiveness	Strategies sustainable at short-, medium- and longer term; incorporation of cost-effectiveness metrics
Placing in context to broader gains and risks	From effects on economy, environment, society and health system at large