Predicting the issuance of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in Africa: Using machine learning to develop insight for health policy research.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have issued stay-at-home orders (SAHOs) to reduce viral transmission. Because of their social and economic consequences, SAHOs are a politically risky decision for governments. Researchers typically attribute public health policymaking to five theoretically significant factors: However, a narrow focus on extant theory runs the risk of biasing findings and missing novel insights.