Modeling the complete spatiotemporal spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in mainland China

Objectives: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic is reaching its final phase in China. The epidemic data are available for a complete assessment of epidemiological parameters in all regions and time periods. Methods: This study aims to present a spatiotemporal epidemic model based on spatially stratified heterogeneity (SSH) to simulate the epidemic spread. A susceptible-exposed/latent-infected-removed (SEIR) model was constructed for each SSH-identified stratum (each administrative city) to estimate the spatiotemporal epidemiological parameters of the outbreak. Results: We estimated that the mean latent and removed periods were 5.40 and 2.13 days, respectively. There was an average of 1.72 latent or infected persons per 10,000 Wuhan travelers to other locations until January 20th, 2020. The space-time basic reproduction number (R-0) estimates indicate an initial value between 2 and 3.5 in most cities on this date. The mean period for R-0 estimates to decrease to 80%, and 50% of initial values in cities were an average of 14.73 and 19.62 days, respectively. Conclusions: Our model estimates the complete spatiotemporal epidemiological characteristics of the outbreak in a space-time domain. These findings will help enhance a comprehensive understanding of the outbreak and inform the strategies of prevention and control in other countries worldwide. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Automated summary

The study presented a spatiotemporal epidemic model to assess the epidemiological parameters of the COVID-19 outbreak in China. The findings indicated key estimates such as the mean latent and removed periods, average number of latent or infected persons per travelers, and the initial basic reproduction numbers in most cities. The results will enhance understanding of the outbreak and provide guidance for prevention and control strategies worldwide.