Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33762052›Full record

ArticleEpidemiology and infection2021

A simple model for the total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections on a national level.

N Blanco, K A Stafford, M C Lavoie, A Brandenburg, M W Górna, M Merski

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epidemiology and infection, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

N BlancoCenter for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity, Institute of Human Virology-University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
K A StaffordCenter for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity, Institute of Human Virology-University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5620-6436
M C LavoieCenter for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity, Institute of Human Virology-University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3315-6207
A BrandenburgNordita, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden.
M W GórnaStructural Biology Group, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-1769-4542
M MerskiStructural Biology Group, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-1844-6997

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aimed to identify an appropriate simple mathematical model to fit the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases at the national level for the early portion of the pandemic, before significant public health interventions could be enacted. The total number of cases for the COVID-19 epidemic over time in 28 countries was analysed and fit to several simple rate models. The resulting model parameters were used to extrapolate projections for more recent data. While the Gompertz growth model (mean R2 = 0.998) best fit the current data, uncertainties in the eventual case limit introduced significant model errors. However, the quadratic rate model (mean R2 = 0.992) fit the current data best for 25 (89%) countries as determined by R2 values of the remaining models. Projection to the future using the simple quadratic model accurately forecast the number of future total number of cases 50% of the time up to 10 days in advance. Extrapolation to the future with the simple exponential model significantly overpredicted the total number of future cases. These results demonstrate that accurate future predictions of the case load in a given country can be made using this very simple model.

Indexed as

Logistic ModelsModels, TheoreticalCOVID-19EuropeHumansPandemicsAnalysis of dataCOVID-19mathematical modelling

Identifiers

PMID33762052
PMCPMC8027562

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.