Illuminated border: Spatiotemporal analysis of COVID-19 pressure in the Sino-Burma border from the perspective of nighttime light

•Nighttime light changes in the Sino-Burma border during COVID-19 lockdowns were analyzed.•Spatiotemporal dynamics of nighttime light were quantitatively described and analyzed.•A PII model was constructed to assess the pressure of COVID-19 across borders.•This model can also be used to calculate other aspects of accessible regions. The emergence of mutant strains such as Omicron has increased the uncertainty of COVID-19, and all countries have taken strict measures to prevent the spread of the disease. The spread of the disease between countries is of particular concern. However, most COVID-19 research focuses mainly on the country or community, and there is less research on the border areas between two countries. In this study, we analyzed changes in the total nighttime light intensity (TNLI) and total nighttime lit area (TNLA) along the Sino-Burma border and used the data to construct an epidemic pressure input index (PII) model in reference to the Shen potential model. The results show that, as the epidemic became more severe, TNLI on both sides of the border at the Ruili border port increased, while that in areas far from the port decreased. At the same time, increases and decreases in TNLA occurred in areas far from the port, and PII can indicate the areas where imported cases are likely to occur. Along the Sino-Burma border, the PII model showed low PII in the north and south and high PII in the central region. The areas between Dehong and Lincang, especially the Ruili, Wanding, Nansan, and Qingshuihe border ports, had high PII. The results of this study offer a reference for public health officials and decision makers when determining resource allocation and the implementation of stricter quarantine rules. With updated epidemic statistics, PII can be recalculated to support timely monitoring of COVID-19 in border areas.