Evaluating the Impact of the Pandemic for the Low- and Middle-Income Countries Using Multimodal Data

Abstract

Compared with high-income countries, Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs) are characterized by large and dense populations with low standards of living. During major public health events, medical resources are often strained in LMICs. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health and living standards around the world. This paper analyzes the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical resources in LMICs using multimodal data, including static attributes and epidemic time series data of countries. Specifically, we use the dynamic models to predict the maximum hospital demand and number of infections for the LMICs in the COVID-19 pandemic. The epidemic is estimated to impose health care burden excessively exceeding the current capacity of hospitals in many LMICs, especially in Honduras, Central African Republic, and Colombia. The reasons for the shortage of medical resources in these areas are further analyzed. We provide suggestion on coping with the shortage of medical resources in the COVID-19 era, as well as preparations for preventing major public health events in the future.