BayesSMILES: Bayesian Segmentation Modeling for Longitudinal Epidemiological Studies

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic. To characterize its disease transmissibility, we propose a Bayesian change point detection model using daily actively infectious cases. Our model builds on a Bayesian Poisson segmented regression model that can 1) capture the epidemiological dynamics under the changing conditions caused by external or internal factors; 2) provide uncertainty estimates of both the number and locations of change points; and 3) adjust any explanatory time-varying covariates. Our model can be used to evaluate public health interventions, identify latent events associated with spreading rates, and yield better short-term forecasts.