The incidence-based dynamic reproduction index: accurate determination, diagnostic sensitivity, and predictive power

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Abstract

Two methods of calculating the reproduction index from daily new infection data are considered, one by using the generation time t G as a shift ( R G ), and an incidence-based method directly derived from the differential equation system of an SIR epidemic dynamics model ( R I ). While the former is shown to have few in common with the true reproduction index, we find that the latter provides a sensitive detection device for intervention effects and other events affecting the epidemic, making it well-suited for diagnostic purposes in policy making. Furthermore, we introduce a similar quantity, , which can be calculated directly from R G . It shows largely the same behaviour as R I , with less fine structure. However, it is accurate in particular in the vicinity of R = 1, where accuracy is important for the corrrect prediction of epidemic dynamics. We introduce an entirely new, self-consistent method to derive, from both quantities, an improved which is both accurate and contains the details of the epidemic spreading dynamics. Hence we obtain R accurately from data on daily new infections (incidence) alone. Moreover, by using R I instead of R G in plots of R versus incidence, orbital trajectories of epidemic waves become visible in a particularly insightful way, demonstrating that the widespread use of only incidence as a diagniostic tool is clearly inappropriate.

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  1. SciScore for 10.1101/2022.04.11.22273599: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Ethicsnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    No key resources detected.


    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).


    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.


    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.


    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.


    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.


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