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Socio-spatial diffusion of COVID-19 in Germany
Topics: Health and Medical
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Keywords: Infectious disease, COVID-19, diffusion Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract Day: Sunday Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) Room: Virtual 31
Authors:
Andreas Kuebart, Leibniz IRS
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Abstract
Arguably unlike any other pandemic before, COVID-19 has been monitored and mapped in detail, enabling fine-grained analysis. So far, the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic followed a non-linear trajectory known from previous pandemics with a wave pattern implying phases of acceleration and deceleration. This paper argues that outbreaks of infectious diseases should be understood as socio-spatial processes with complex geographies. Considering the different dimensions of space through which an outbreak unfolds, facilitates analyzing spatial diffusion of infectious disease in contemporary societies. We attempt to highlight four relevant dimensions of space by applying the TPSN framework to the case of how the different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in Germany. By identifying key processes of disease diffusion in space, we can explain the spatial patterns of the COVID-19 outbreak in Germany. By analyzing which types of diffusion patterns were relevant during which stage of the pandemic, we aim to generate insights on how the geographies of spread vary over the course of the pandemic, especially considering changing conditions (e.g., new strains or infection control policies).
