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Fine scale human mobility changes within 26 US cities in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with distance and income.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Repository DOI


Change log

Authors

Schaber, Kathryn L 
Schluth, Catherine 
Huang, Angkana T 
Labrique, Alain B 

Abstract

Human mobility patterns changed greatly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite many analyses investigating general mobility trends, there has been less work characterising changes in mobility on a fine spatial scale and developing frameworks to model these changes. We analyse zip code-level within-city mobility data from 26 US cities between February 2 -August 31, 2020. We use Bayesian models to characterise the initial decrease in mobility and mobility patterns between June-August at this fine spatial scale. There were similar temporal trends across cities but large variations in the magnitude of mobility reductions. Long-distance routes and higher-income subscribers, but not age, were associated with greater mobility reductions. At the city level, mobility rates around early April, when mobility was lowest, and over summer showed little association with non-pharmaceutical interventions or case rates. Changes in mobility patterns lasted until the end of the study period, despite overall numbers of trips recovering to near baseline levels in many cities.

Description

Keywords

33 Built Environment and Design, 3304 Urban and Regional Planning, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Coronaviruses, 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Journal Title

PLOS Glob Public Health

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2767-3375
2767-3375

Volume Title

3

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Sponsorship
Burroughs Wellcome Fund (Career Award at the Scientific Interface)
National Institute of Health (DP2LM013102-0)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1R01A1160780-01)