Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34048477›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Multivariate visualization of the global COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of 161 countries.

Jane K L Teh, David A Bradley, Jack Bee Chook, Kee Huong Lai, Woo Teck Ang, Kok Lay Teo, Suat-Cheng Peh

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. An intelligent forecast for COVID-19 based on single and multiple features.International journal of intelligent systems · 2022
    Article
  4. Article
  5. 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

7 authors.

Jane K L TehSchool of Mathematical Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0003-2389-6578
David A BradleySchool of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Jack Bee ChookSchool of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Kee Huong LaiSchool of Mathematical Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Woo Teck AngPEMANDU Associates, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kok Lay TeoSchool of Mathematical Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Suat-Cheng PehSchool of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of the study was to visualize the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic over the first 90 days, through the principal component analysis approach of dimensionality reduction.

methodsThis study used data from the Global COVID-19 Index provided by PEMANDU Associates. The sample, representing 161 countries, comprised the number of confirmed cases, deaths, stringency indices, population density and GNI per capita (USD). Correlation matrices were computed to reveal the association between the variables at three time points: day-30, day-60 and day-90. Three separate principal component analyses were computed for similar time points, and several standardized plots were produced.

resultsConfirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 showed positive but weak correlation with stringency and GNI per capita. Through principal component analysis, the first two principal components captured close to 70% of the variance of the data. The first component can be viewed as the severity of the COVID-19 surge in countries, whereas the second component largely corresponded to population density, followed by GNI per capita of countries. Multivariate visualization of the two dominating principal components provided a standardized comparison of the situation in the161 countries, performed on day-30, day-60 and day-90 since the first confirmed cases in countries worldwide.

conclusionVisualization of the global spread of COVID-19 showed the unequal severity of the pandemic across continents and over time. Distinct patterns in clusters of countries, which separated many European countries from those in Africa, suggested a contrast in terms of stringency measures and wealth of a country. The African continent appeared to fare better in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic and the burden of mortality in the first 90 days. A noticeable worsening trend was observed in several countries in the same relative time frame of the disease's first 90 days, especially in the United States of America.

Indexed as

Global HealthPandemicsSARS-CoV-2AfricaCOVID-19EuropeHumansUnited States

Identifiers

PMID34048477
PMCPMC8162616

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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.