is_balanced: Test whether Panel Dataset with Regional Infection Data is...

In swash: Health Geography Toolbox for Model-Based Analysis of Infections Panel Data

Test whether Panel Dataset with Regional Infection Data is Balanced

Description

The function tests whether the input panel data with regional infections is balanced.

Usage

is_balanced(
  data, 
  col_cases, 
  col_date, 
  col_region, 
  as_balanced = TRUE, 
  fill_missing = 0,
  drop_duplicates = TRUE
  )

Arguments

data	data.frame with regional infection data
col_cases	Column containing the cases (numeric)
col_date	Column containing the time points (e.g., days)
col_region	Column containing the unique identifier of the regions (e.g., name, NUTS 3 code)
as_balanced	bool argument which indicates whether non-balanced panel data shall be balanced (default: TRUE)
fill_missing	Constant to fill missing values (default and recommended: 0)
drop_duplicates	bool argument which indicates whether duplicated region/time combinations are removed

Details

The Swash-Backwash Model for the Single Epidemic Wave does not necessarily require balanced panel data in order for the calculations to be carried out. However, for a correct estimation it is implicitly assumed that the input data is balanced. The function tests whether the panel data is balanced. It is executed automatically within the swash() function (using automatic correction with as_balanced = TRUE) and during the import of infections panel data via load_infections_paneldata(), but can also be used separately.

Value

List with two entries:

data_balanced	Result of test (TRUE or FALSE)
data	Input dataset (data.frame)

Author(s)

Thomas Wieland

See Also

as_balanced

Examples

data(COVID19Cases_geoRegion)
# Get SWISS COVID19 cases at NUTS 3 level

COVID19Cases_geoRegion <- 
  COVID19Cases_geoRegion[!COVID19Cases_geoRegion$geoRegion %in% c("CH", "CHFL"),]
# Exclude CH = Switzerland total and CHFL = Switzerland and Liechtenstein total

COVID19Cases_geoRegion <- 
  COVID19Cases_geoRegion[COVID19Cases_geoRegion$datum <= "2020-05-31",]
# Extract first COVID-19 wave

COVID19Cases_geoRegion_balanced <- 
  is_balanced(
  data = COVID19Cases_geoRegion,
  col_cases = "entries",
  col_date = "datum",
  col_region = "geoRegion"
)
# Test whether "COVID19Cases_geoRegion" is balanced panel data 

COVID19Cases_geoRegion_balanced$data_balanced
# Balanced? TRUE or FALSE

if (COVID19Cases_geoRegion_balanced$data_balanced == FALSE) {
  COVID19Cases_geoRegion <- 
    as_balanced(
    COVID19Cases_geoRegion,
    col_cases = "entries",
    col_date = "datum",
    col_region = "geoRegion"
  )
}
# Correction of dataset "COVID19Cases_geoRegion"
# not necessary as parameter balance of is_balanced is set TRUE by default

swash documentation built on Oct. 18, 2026, 5:06 p.m.