Forecasting COVID-19 Pandemic – A scientometric Review of Methodologies Based on Mathematics, Statistics, and Machine Learning

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is being regarded as a worldwide public health issue. The virus has disseminated to 228 nations, resulting in a staggering 772 million global infections and a significant death toll of 6.9 million. Since its initial occurrence in late 2019, many approaches have been employed to anticipate and project the future spread of COVID-19. This study provides a concentrated examination and concise evaluation of the forecasting methods utilised for predicting COVID-19. To begin with, A comprehensive scientometric analysis has been conducted using COVID-19 data obtained from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, utilising bibliometric research. Subsequently, a thorough examination and classification of the existing literature and utilised approaches has been conducted. First of its kind, this review paper analyses all kinds of methodologies used for COVID-19 forecasting including Mathematical, Statistical, Artificial Intelligence - Machine Learning, Ensembles, Transfer Learning and hybrid methods. Data has been collected regarding different COVID-19 characteristics that are being taken into account for prediction purposes, as well as the methodology used to develop the model. Additional statistical analysis has been conducted using existing literature to determine the patterns of COVID-19 forecasting in relation to the prevalence of methodologies, programming languages, and data sources. This review study may be valuable for researchers, specialists, and decision-makers concerned in administration of the Corona Virus pandemic. It can assist in developing enhanced forecasting models and strategies for pandemic management.