Global infectious disease early warning models: An updated review and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

An early warning model for infectious diseases is a crucial tool for timely monitoring, prevention, and control of disease outbreaks. The integration of diverse multi-source data using big data and artificial intelligence techniques has emerged as a key approach in advancing these early warning models. This paper presents a comprehensive review of widely utilized early warning models for infectious diseases around the globe. Unlike previous review studies, this review encompasses newly developed approaches such as the combined model and Hawkes model after the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a thorough evaluation of their current application status and development prospects for the first time. These models not only rely on conventional surveillance data but also incorporate information from various sources. We aim to provide valuable insights for enhancing global infectious disease surveillance and early warning systems, as well as informing future research in this field, by summarizing the underlying modeling concepts, algorithms, and application scenarios of each model.