Table 1 Frequency of rat sightings and encounters during March–June 2020 stay-at-home order in Chicago, Illinois, USA
Frequency during quarantine | Change during quarantine | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Never | Rarely (Less than weekly) | Frequently (Weekly) | Daily or almost daily | Does not occur | Less often | About the same | More often | |
Rats in home | 253 (30%) | 260 (31%) | 219 (26%) | 109 (13%) | 173 (21%) | 8 (11%) | 400 (48%) | 173 (21%) |
Rats on block | 186 (22%) | 243 (29%) | 263 (31%) | 145 (17%) | 130 (16%) | 84 (10%) | 423 (51%) | 195 (23%) |
Saw chewed objects | 498 (69%) | 139 (19%) | 58 (8%) | 24 (3%) | 266 (37%) | 95 (13%) | 271 (38%) | 90 (13%) |
Rat feces in home | 453 (63%) | 154 (21%) | 80 (11%) | 31 (4%) | 264 (37%) | 98 (14%) | 261 (36%) | 98 (14%) |
Touched rat feces | 661 (91%) | 52 (7%) | 16 (2%) | 1 (0.1%) | 480 (67%) | 83 (12%) | 144 (20%) | 13 (2%) |
Touched a rat (alive or dead) | 650 (89%) | 70 (10%) | 9 (1%) | 0 | 504 (70%) | 91 (13%) | 118 (17%) | 7 (1%) |
Bitten by rat | 725 (99%) | 3 (0.4%) | 1 (0.1%) | 0 | 529 (74%) | 80 (11%) | 108 (15%) | 2 (0.3%) |