Quantifying the spatiotemporal dynamics of the first two epidemic waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the United States
Authors/Creators
- 1. Yale School of Public Health, Yale University
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2.
Yale University
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3.
Harvard University
- 4. Stanford University
- 5. Yale School of Public Health
Description
SARS-CoV-2 infection rates displayed strikingly organized patterns of temporal and spatial spread as new variants were introduced and subsequently transmitted within the United States. While these spatiotemporal "waves" of infection have been described previously, attempts to quantify the speed and extent of these waves have been limited. Here, we estimate and compare the wavefront speed and spatial expansion of the first two major infection waves in the United States, illustrating these dynamics through detailed visualizations. Our findings reveal that the origins of these waves coincide with large gatherings and the relaxation of masking mandates. Notably, we found that the second wave spread more rapidly than the first, possibly driven by multiple introduction events. These analyses highlight regional heterogeneity in epidemic dynamics and underscore the importance of localized public health measures in mitigating ongoing outbreaks.
Files
waves-waves-manuscript.zip
Files
(552.5 MB)
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Additional details
Software
- Repository URL
- https://github.com/covidestim/waves
- Programming language
- R