Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35443607›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2022

Data-driven prediction of COVID-19 cases in Germany for decision making.

Lukas Refisch, Fabian Lorenz, Torsten Riedlinger, Hannes Taubenböck, Martina Fischer, Linus Grabenhenrich, Martin Wolkewitz, Harald Binder, Clemens Kreutz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. [Forecasting models to guide intensive care COVID-19 capacities in Germany].Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin · 2023
    Article
  5. Can infectious modelling be applicable globally - lessons from COVID 19.Current opinion in environmental science & health · 2022
    Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Lukas Refisch *Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Stefan Meier Str. 26, Freiburg, 79104, Germany.
Fabian Lorenz *Institute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Stefan Meier Str. 26, Freiburg, 79104, Germany.
Torsten RiedlingerGerman Aerospace Center, Earth Observation Center, Münchener Str. 20, Weßling, 82234, Germany.
Hannes TaubenböckGerman Aerospace Center, Earth Observation Center, Münchener Str. 20, Weßling, 82234, Germany.
Martina FischerRobert-Koch-Institute, Department for Methodology and Research Infrastructure, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany.
Linus GrabenhenrichRobert-Koch-Institute, Department for Methodology and Research Infrastructure, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany.
Martin WolkewitzInstitute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Stefan Meier Str. 26, Freiburg, 79104, Germany.
Harald BinderInstitute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Stefan Meier Str. 26, Freiburg, 79104, Germany.
Clemens KreutzInstitute of Medical Biometry and Statistics, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Stefan Meier Str. 26, Freiburg, 79104, Germany. ckreutz@imbi.uni-freiburg.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to a high interest in mathematical models describing and predicting the diverse aspects and implications of the virus outbreak. Model results represent an important part of the information base for the decision process on different administrative levels. The Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) initiated a project whose main goal is to predict COVID-19-specific occupation of beds in intensive care units: Steuerungs-Prognose von Intensivmedizinischen COVID-19 Kapazitäten (SPoCK). The incidence of COVID-19 cases is a crucial predictor for this occupation.

methodsWe developed a model based on ordinary differential equations for the COVID-19 spread with a time-dependent infection rate described by a spline. Furthermore, the model explicitly accounts for weekday-specific reporting and adjusts for reporting delay. The model is calibrated in a purely data-driven manner by a maximum likelihood approach. Uncertainties are evaluated using the profile likelihood method. The uncertainty about the appropriate modeling assumptions can be accounted for by including and merging results of different modelling approaches. The analysis uses data from Germany describing the COVID-19 spread from early 2020 until March 31st, 2021.

resultsThe model is calibrated based on incident cases on a daily basis and provides daily predictions of incident COVID-19 cases for the upcoming three weeks including uncertainty estimates for Germany and its subregions. Derived quantities such as cumulative counts and 7-day incidences with corresponding uncertainties can be computed. The estimation of the time-dependent infection rate leads to an estimated reproduction factor that is oscillating around one. Data-driven estimation of the dark figure purely from incident cases is not feasible.

conclusionsWe successfully implemented a procedure to forecast near future COVID-19 incidences for diverse subregions in Germany which are made available to various decision makers via an interactive web application. Results of the incidence modeling are also used as a predictor for forecasting the need of intensive care units.

Indexed as

COVID-19Decision MakingForecastingGermanyHumansLikelihood FunctionsPandemicsSARS-CoV-2COVID-19Infectious disease modelsInput estimationNonlinear systemsOrdinary differential equationsParameter estimationSEIR models

Identifiers

PMID35443607
PMCPMC9019290

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.