Restricting in-person interactions is crucial for limiting COVID-19 spread. While early research showed a strong link between cell phone mobility and infection spread in the US, this study investigates the persistence of this relationship across locations and time. Using a year of county-level data, the authors found that mobility drops coincided with declining infection rates in populous counties during spring 2020, but the association varied significantly elsewhere and over time. Model flexibility was key; restrictive models masked spatiotemporal variation. The study concludes that mobility isn't a reliable leading indicator of infection rates, with important policy implications.
Publisher
npj Digital Medicine
Published On
Oct 27, 2021
Authors
Sean Jewell, Joseph Futoma, Lauren Hannah, Andrew C. Miller, Nicholas J. Foti, Emily B. Fox
Tags
COVID-19
mobility
infection rates
public health
data analysis
policy implications
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