INTAKE: mobile location data to track the evolution of COVID-19 pandemic in different locations
About the project
The project INTAKE – INtegrating mobility daTa into spAtial risK modEls aims to help improve the already existing epidemiological models that allow to predict the transmission risk in each region, by integrating individual mobility data provided by telecommunication operators.
Operators permanently access mobile location data and know, at each moment, the approximate subscriber’s location. This information can be used without compromising anonymity or privacy, without causing any negative effects on the autonomy or behaviour of mobile phones.
These individual mobility data reflect the daily, weekly, and annual flow of people who move between regions, which can provide a clearer idea of the transmission risk when combined with epidemiological models.
The INTAKE team intends to further enrich this solution by aggregating additional data such as, for example, information on the behaviours of populations regarding health activities, which may improve the quality of predictions.
A good example of this is the protocol that has been established with the National Association of Pharmacies, which will provide information on the sale of medicines for flu like symptoms, since these medicines can be related to increasing COVID-19 infections in a given location.
The project is coordinated by Arlindo Oliveira, Técnico professor and researcher at INESC-ID. INTAKE got a €37,524 funding from “RESEARCH 4 COVID-19” and involves researchers from The project team is composed of researchers from INESC-ID, CERENA, LArSys, INSA and a telecommunications operator.
Location
Lisbon
Entities
- Instituto Superior Técnico
- Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Investigação e Desenvolvimento- INESC-ID
- Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente (CERENA)
- Associate Laboratory of Robotics and Engineering Systems (LArSys)
- National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA)
- National Association of Pharmacies
Keywords
- Epidemiological models
- Mobility