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Abstract The epidemic course of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been differently divided according to its transmission pattern and the infection and mortality status, and such efforts for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been lacking Does every epidemic have a unique epidemic course? Can we coordinate two arbitrary courses into an integrated course, which could better reflect a common real-world progression pattern of the epidemics? To what degree can such arbitrary divisions help to predict the future trends of the COVID-19 pandemic and the future epidemics? The advanced spatial and digital technologies provide a new perspective to understand the course of epidemics, especially pandemics, and a new toolkit to predict the course of future epidemics on the basis of big data In the data-driven era we are in right now, data should be integrated and inform us what the epidemic transmits like at the present moment, what it will transmit like at the next moment, and which interventions would be most cost-effective to curb the epidemic Both national and international legislations are needed to facilitate the integration of relevant policies of data sharing and confidentiality protection into the current pandemic preparedness guidelines
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