Characterizing US Spatial Connectivity and Implications for Geographical Disease Dynamics and Metapopulation Modeling: Longitudinal Observational Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Human mobility is expected to be a critical factor in the geographic diffusion of infectious diseases, and this assumption led to the implementation of social distancing policies during the early fight against the COVID-19 emergency in the United States. Yet, because of substantial data gaps in the past, what still eludes our understanding are the following questions: (1) How does mobility contribute to the spread of infection within the United States at local, regional, and national scales? (2) How do seasonality and shifts in behavior affect mobility over time? (3) At what geographic level is mobility homogeneous across the United States?

Objective

This study aimed to address the questions that are critical for developing accurate transmission models, predicting

SUBMITTER: Pullano G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11856803 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature