Matteo Chinazzi

Matteo Chinazzi

Research Associate Professor, Northeastern University

Mobility, commuting, and contact patterns during the COVID-19 outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic offers an unprecedented natural experiment providing insights into collective behavioral changes of both exogenous (government mandated) and endogenous (spontaneous reaction to infection risks) origin. In this project we characterize collective physical distancing—mobility reductions, minimization of contacts, shortening of contact duration—in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing de-identified location data for a panel of over 5.5 million anonymized, opted-in U.S. devices. We define several indicators of users’ mobility and proximity to investigate deviations from typical pre-pandemic activity and we show the statistical association of such indicators with new deaths at a time lag that is consistent with CDC estimates. By early autumn 2020, people in the U.S. have reshaped their behavior into a new (physically distanced) normal. In this project we provide a framework to study massive social distancing phenomena with potential uses in analyzing and monitoring the effects of pandemic mitigation plans at the national and international level.

For more information about this project and access to our public dashboard please visit: https://covid19.gleamproject.org/mobility.


Papers and Research Reports:

  • Klein, B., LaRock, T., McCabe, S., Torres, L., Friedland, L., Privitera, F., Lake, B., Kraemer, M.U.G., Brownstein, J.S., Lazer, D., Eliassi-Rad, T., Scarpino, S.V., Vespignani, A., & Chinazzi, M. (2020). Reshaping a nation: Mobility, commuting, and contact patterns during the COVID-19 outbreak. Northeastern University, Network Science Institute research report, May 11th, 2020. Available online at https://www.mobs-lab.org/2019ncov.html.

  • Klein, B., LaRock, T., McCabe, S., Torres, L., Privitera, F., Lake, B., Kraemer, M.U.G., Brownstein, J.S., Lazer, D., Eliassi-Rad, T., Scarpino, S.V., Chinazzi, M. & Vespignani, A. (2020). Assessing changes in commuting and individual mobility in major metropolitan areas in the United States during the COVID-19 outbreak. Northeastern University, Network Science Institute research report, March 31st, 2020. Available online at https://www.mobs-lab.org/2019ncov.html.

  • Nande, A., Sheen, J., Walters, E.L., Klein, B., Chinazzi, M., Gheorghe, A., Adlam, B., Shinnick, J., Tejeda, M.F., Scarpino, S.V., Vespignani, A., Greenlee, A.J., Schneider, D., Levy, M. Z., & Hill, A.L. (2021). The effect of eviction moratoria on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Nature Communications, 12, 2274. [Read paper here]

  • Aleta, A., Martin-Corral, D., Pastore y Piontti, A., Ajelli, M., Litvinova, M., Chinazzi, M., Dean, N.E., Halloran, M.E., Longini, I.M., Merler, S., Pentland, A., Vespignani, A., Moro, E., & Moreno, Y. (2020). Modelling the impact of testing, contact tracing and household quarantine on second waves of COVID-19. Nature Human Behaviour, 4(9), 964-971. [Read paper here]

  • Aleta, A., Martín-Corral, D., Bakker, M. A., Pastore y Piontti, A., Ajelli, M., Litvinova, M., Chinazzi, M., Dean, N.E., Halloran, M.E., Longini, I.M., Pentland, A., Vespignani, A., Moreno, Y., & Moro, E. (2020). Quantifying the importance and location of SARS-CoV-2 transmission events in large metropolitan areas. medRxiv, 2020.12.15.20248273. [Read pre-print here]