Forecasting End of COVID – 19 in India Based on Time Series Analysis

In this paper, the Box-Jenkins Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models for active and exponential smoothing HOLT for removed rates has been estimated using daily time series data from 1st April to 14thSeptember 2020.The active and removed rates are computed from cumulative confirmed, active, recovered and deceased cases. It has been found that ARIMA (0, 1, 1) and Holt exponential smoothing Models are best fit for active and removed rates respectively. Normalized BIC is 0.577and 0.898 for active and removed rates respectively and is minimum among all the six models considered. Lack of fit of models is tested by Ljung-BoX Q statistic. The pvalue is 0.925 and 0.840 for active and removed rates respectively Since for both the rates p-value is greater than 0.05, hence conclude that our model does not show a lack of fit. On the basis of our analysis, active rate will be nullified latest by 5th January 2020, if everything goes best, as P M of India has assured on eve of Independence Day that vaccine for corona will be available very soon. Otherwise by 9 th February 2021 if the past trend continued and in worst situation it will tends to zero on 26th March 2021. We expect the removed rates will reach 100 percent by 20TH October 2020 if everything goes best and by 5th January 2021 if the past trend continued. On the assumptions that Pandemic will come to an end when removed rate in the population tends to 100 percent and active rate to zero percent. Thus on the basis our analysis we expect that COVID – 19 Pandemic may come to end latest either by 9 th February 2021 or 26th March 2021 subject to condition that the social distance and safely measures remains vigilance to stabilize and control the pandemic and in achieving India’s recovery from COVID-19.