The Application of Statistical and Mathematical Models to Pandemics--Taking COVID-19 as an Example

Abstract

Since the outbreak of a large-scale epidemic can trigger fear and uncertainty, disease and death, and cause a great disruption to daily life while having a significant negative impact on the national and world economies, effective planning and research to deal with the spread of epidemics are of great importance. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019, applied mathematical-statistical models have been widely used in the control and research of world epidemics. In their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) have used a variety of statistical tools and mathematical models to respond to and combat pandemic diseases. The continuing threat posed by infectious diseases has led to renewed research efforts around the world. This paper analyzed 13 relevant articles from 2010 to 2022, summarized and analyzed the main contributions of statistical and mathematical models in epidemic prevention and control, and put forward suggestions for future research directions, to increase the significance of data-based statistics for the study of infectious diseases, emphasizes the role and advantages of statistical and mathematical models in the control of infectious diseases, and advocates expanding the use of mathematical modelling of epidemics and encouraging increased cross-border collaboration in epidemiology among other related disciplines. This will bring a lot of benefits to future epidemiological research.