Evaluating the effectiveness of control measures in multiple regions during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

Zengmiao Wang; Jason Whittington; Hsiang-Yu Yuan; Hui Miao; Huaiyu Tian; Nils Chr Stenseth

doi:10.1016/j.bsheal.2021.09.002

Evaluating the effectiveness of control measures in multiple regions during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

Biosaf Health. 2021 Oct;3(5):264-275. doi: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2021.09.002. Epub 2021 Sep 13.

Authors

Zengmiao Wang¹, Jason Whittington², Hsiang-Yu Yuan³, Hui Miao⁴, Huaiyu Tian¹, Nils Chr Stenseth²

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Center for Global Change and Public Health, College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100091, China.
² Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo N-0315, Norway.
³ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China.
⁴ Department of Statistics, College of Art and Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

Abstract

The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases rapidly grew since the SARS-CoV-2 virus was identified in late 2019. Due to the high transmissibility of this virus, more countries are experiencing the repeated waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with limited manufacturing and distribution of vaccines, control measures might still be the most critical measures to contain outbreaks worldwide. Therefore, evaluating the effectiveness of various control measures is necessary to inform policymakers and improve future preparedness. In addition, there is an ongoing need to enhance our understanding of the epidemiological parameters and the transmission patterns for a better response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This review focuses on how various models were applied to guide the COVID-19 response by estimating key epidemiologic parameters and evaluating the effectiveness of control measures. We also discuss the insights obtained from the prediction of COVID-19 trajectories under different control measures scenarios.

Keywords: Application; COVID-19; Models.

Publication types

Review