Analysis of the differences in living population changes and regional responses by COVID-19 outbreak in Seoul

Abstract

New infectious diseases have broken out repeatedly across the world over the last 20 years;COVID-19 is causing drastic changes and damage to daily lives. Furthermore, as there is no denying that new epidemics will appear in the future, there is a continuous need to develop measures aimed towards responding to economic damage. Against this backdrop, the living population is an important indicator that shows changes in citizens' life patterns. This study analyzes time-based and socio-environmental characteristics by detecting and classifying changes in everyday life caused by COVID-19 from the perspective of the floating population. k-shape Clustering is used to classify living population data of each of the 424 dong's in Seoul measured by the hour;then by applying intervention analysis and One-way ANOVA, each cluster's characteristics and aspects of change in the living population occurring in the aftermath of COVID-19 are scrutinized. In conclusion, this study confirms each cluster's obvious characteristics in changes of population flows before and after the confirmation of coronavirus patients and distinguishes groups that reacted sensitively to the intervention times on the basis of COVID-related incidents from those that did not.