Observing the silent world under COVID-19 with a comprehensive impact analysis based on human mobility

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Sociology
• Economics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced global human mobility starting in spring 2020.
• Measuring real-time changes in human mobility and socio-economic activity is crucial for understanding pandemic impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct a "silent index" (SI) using Google mobility data to quantify real-time human mobility decline.
• To investigate the relationship between the SI, COVID-19 cases, government policies, and economic development.

Main Methods:

• Development of a "silent index" (SI) based on aggregated Google mobility data.
• Statistical analysis to explore correlations between SI, new COVID-19 cases, policy interventions, and national economic development levels.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in the SI was observed, directly correlating with the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Bi-directional, dynamic relationships were found between SI and new COVID-19 cases, with a 1-2 week lag.
• Government policies showed immediate but not sustained effects on SI; underdeveloped countries experienced greater mobility reductions.

Conclusions:

• The SI effectively quantifies the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human mobility and socio-economic activities.
• Pandemic impacts on mobility are heterogeneous across countries and influenced by policy and economic status.
• The SI serves as a potential indicator for the socio-economic disruption caused by major global events.