No Arabic abstract
In this paper, we propose a continuous-time stochastic intensity model, namely, two-phase dynamic contagion process(2P-DCP), for modelling the epidemic contagion of COVID-19 and investigating the lockdown effect based on the dynamic contagion model introduced by Dassios and Zhao (2011). It allows randomness to the infectivity of individuals rather than a constant reproduction number as assumed by standard models. Key epidemiological quantities, such as the distribution of final epidemic size and expected epidemic duration, are derived and estimated based on real data for various regions and countries. The associated time lag of the effect of intervention in each country or region is estimated. Our results are consistent with the incubation time of COVID-19 found by recent medical study. We demonstrate that our model could potentially be a valuable tool in the modeling of COVID-19. More importantly, the proposed model of 2P-DCP could also be used as an important tool in epidemiological modelling as this type of contagion models with very simple structures is adequate to describe the evolution of regional epidemic and worldwide pandemic.
A generalisation of the Susceptible-Infectious model is made to include a time-dependent transmission rate, which leads to a close analytical expression in terms of a logistic function. The solution can be applied to any continuous function chosen to describe the evolution of the transmission rate with time. Taking inspiration from real data of the Covid-19, for the case of cumulative confirmed positives and deaths, we propose an exponentially decaying transmission rate with two free parameters, one for its initial amplitude and another one for its decaying rate. The resultant time-dependent SI model, which under extra conditions recovers the standard Gompertz functional form, is then compared with data from selected countries and its parameters fit using Bayesian inference. We make predictions about the asymptotic number of confirmed positives and deaths, and discuss the possible evolution of the disease in each country in terms of our parametrisation of the transmission rate.
The Covid-19 pandemic is ongoing worldwide, and the damage it has caused is unprecedented. For prevention, South Korea has adopted a local quarantine strategy rather than a global lockdown. This approach not only minimizes economic damage, but it also efficiently prevents the spread of the disease. In this work, the spread of COVID-19 under local quarantine measures is modeled using the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered model on complex networks. In this network approach, the links connected to isolated people are disconnected and then reinstated when they are released. This link dynamics leads to time-dependent reproduction number. Numerical simulations are performed on networks with reaction rates estimated from empirical data. The temporal pattern of the cumulative number of confirmed cases is then reproduced. The results show that a large number of asymptomatic infected patients are detected as they are quarantined together with infected patients. Additionally, possible consequences of the breakdowns of local quarantine measures and social distancing are considered.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges for continuing economic activity while reducing health risks. While these challenges can be mitigated through testing, testing budget is often limited. Here we study how institutions, such as nursing homes, should utilize a fixed test budget for early detection of an outbreak. Using an extended network-SEIR model, we show that given a certain budget of tests, it is generally better to test smaller subgroups of the population frequently than to test larger groups but less frequently. The numerical results are consistent with an analytical expression we derive for the size of the outbreak at detection in an exponential spread model. Our work provides a simple guideline for institutions: distribute your total tests over several batches instead of using them all at once. We expect that in the appropriate scenarios, this easy-to-implement policy recommendation will lead to earlier detection and better mitigation of local COVID-19 outbreaks.
The sudden outbreak of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) swept across the world in early 2020, triggering the lockdowns of several billion people across many countries, including China, Spain, India, the U.K., Italy, France, Germany, and most states of the U.S. The transmission of the virus accelerated rapidly with the most confirmed cases in the U.S., and New York City became an epicenter of the pandemic by the end of March. In response to this national and global emergency, the NSF Spatiotemporal Innovation Center brought together a taskforce of international researchers and assembled implemented strategies to rapidly respond to this crisis, for supporting research, saving lives, and protecting the health of global citizens. This perspective paper presents our collective view on the global health emergency and our effort in collecting, analyzing, and sharing relevant data on global policy and government responses, geospatial indicators of the outbreak and evolving forecasts; in developing research capabilities and mitigation measures with global scientists, promoting collaborative research on outbreak dynamics, and reflecting on the dynamic responses from human societies.
We present results of different approaches to model the evolution of the COVID-19 epidemic in Argentina, with a special focus on the megacity conformed by the city of Buenos Aires and its metropolitan area, including a total of 41 districts with over 13 million inhabitants. We first highlight the relevance of interpreting the early stage of the epidemic in light of incoming infectious travelers from abroad. Next, we critically evaluate certain proposed solutions to contain the epidemic based on instantaneous modifications of the reproductive number. Finally, we build increasingly complex and realistic models, ranging from simple homogeneous models used to estimate local reproduction numbers, to fully coupled inhomogeneous (deterministic or stochastic) models incorporating mobility estimates from cell phone location data. The models are capable of producing forecasts highly consistent with the official number of cases with minimal parameter fitting and fine-tuning. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the proposed models, focusing on the validity of different necessary first approximations, and caution future modeling efforts to exercise great care in the interpretation of long-term forecasts, and in the adoption of non-pharmaceutical interventions backed by numerical simulations.