Spatial And Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Approaches To Inform Covid-19 Surveillance And Control: A Review Protocol
Abstract Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogen/infections that cause coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19 ) have afflicted millions worldwide. Understanding the underlying spatial and temporal dynamics can help orient timely public health policies and optimize the targeting of non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccines to the most vulnerable populations, particularly in resource-constrained settings such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The review systematically summarises important methodological aspects and specificities of spatial approaches applied to Covid-19 in SSA. Methods: Thematically selected keywords will systematically search for refereed studies in the following electronic databases PubMed, SCOPUS, MEDLINE, CINHAL, and Coronavirus Research Database for peer-reviewed articles from January 2020 to October 2021. Two independent reviewers will screen the title, abstracts, and full texts against predefined eligibility criteria based on methodological relevance and quality. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 procedures will be adhered to during the reporting process.Discussion: A wealth of studies employing spatial and spatio-temporal methodology have appeared in literature in diverse contexts; however, Covid-19 modeling remains in its infancy, and research is needed to characterize uncertainty and validate various modeling regimes appropriately. It is anticipated that the review will aid spatial, spatio-temporal modeling decisions necessary for mitigating the current and future pandemics. Systematic review registration: CRD42021279767