The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic course in Saudi Arabia: A dynamic epidemiological model-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic course in Saudi Arabia: A dynamic epidemiological model

Published:2020-06-02 Issue: Volume: Page:
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Author:

Murhaf Al-Khani Abdullah^ORCID,Abdelghafour Khalifa Mohamed^ORCID,AlMazrou Abdulrahman^ORCID,Saquib Nazmus^ORCID

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveSaudi Arabia ranks second in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in the Eastern Mediterranean region. It houses the two most sacred religious places for Muslims: Mecca and Medina. It is important to know what the trend in case numbers will be in the next 4–6 months, especially during the Hajj pilgrimage season.MethodsEpidemiological data on COVID-19 were obtained from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Humanitarian Data Exchange. A susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) prediction model was constructed to predict the trend in COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia in the next 6 months.FindingsThe model predicts that the number of active cases will peak by 20 May 2020. The cumulative infected cases are predicted to reach 59,663 at that time. The total number of infected individuals is estimated reach to 102,647 by the end of the pandemic.ConclusionOur estimates show that by the time the Hajj season commences in Saudi Arabia, the pandemic will be in the midst of its deceleration phase (phase 3). This information will likely be useful to policymakers in their management of the outbreak.

Publisher

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

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