A comparison of COVID-19 outbreaks across US Combined Statistical Areas using new methods for estimating R₀ and...

We investigated the initial outbreak rates and subsequent social distancing behaviour over the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic across 29 Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs) of the United States. We used the Numerus Model Builder Data and Simulation Analysis (NMB-DASA) web application to fit the exponential phase of a SCLAIV+D (Susceptible, Contact, Latent, Asymptomatic infectious, symptomatic Infectious, Vaccinated, Dead) disease classes model to outbreaks, thereby allowing us to obtain an estimate of the basic reproductive number R₀ for each CSA. Values of R₀ ranged from 1.9 to 9.4, with a mean and standard deviation of 4.5±1.8. Fixing the parameters from the exponential fit, we again used NMB-DASA to estimate a set of social distancing behaviour parameters to compute an epidemic flattening index c_flatten. Finally, we applied hierarchical clustering methods using this index to divide CSA outbreaks into two clusters: those presenting a social distancing response that was either weaker or stronger. We found c_flatten to be more influential in the clustering process than R₀. Thus, our results suggest that the behavioural response after a short initial exponential growth phase is likely to be more determinative of the rise of an epidemic than R₀ itself.