evolutional diversification through local transmissions in human societies [3]. Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has quickly spread worldwide from Wuhan, China [4]. The disease transmission geography of COVID-19 was highly heterogeneous; some countries (e.g., Japan) had cases from the earliest stage of this pandemic, but their increase in the number of new cases was relatively moderate, whereas others (e.g., EU nations and the USA) experienced later but substantial COVID-19 outbreaks. To predict infection risk on the global scale, the forces driving the COVID-19 outbreak patterns must be identified [5]. Additionally, capturing region-specific factors influencing the outbreak progress is critically important for improving long-term control measures against this ongoing pandemic.
Infectious diseases due to respiratory