Harweg, ThomasBachmann, DanielWeichert, Frank2023-02-132023-02-132021-04-01http://hdl.handle.net/2003/4123110.17877/DE290R-23075Purpose With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spreading across the world, protective measures for containing the virus are essential, especially as long as no vaccine or effective treatment is available. One important measure is the so-called physical distancing or social distancing. Methods In this paper, we propose an agent-based numerical simulation of pedestrian dynamics in order to assess the behavior of pedestrians in public places in the context of contact transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19, and to gather insights about exposure times and the overall effectiveness of distancing measures. Results To abide by the minimum distance of 1.5 m stipulated by the German government at an infection rate of 2%, our simulation results suggest that a density of one person per 16m2 or below is sufficient. Conclusions The results of this study give insight into how physical distancing as a protective measure can be carried out more efficiently to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.enJournal of public health;Vol. 31. 2022, Issue 2, pp 221-228https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/SARS-CoV-2COVID-19Pedestrian dynamicsAgent-based simulationSocial-force modelNumerical simulation004article (journal)