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Register a new userA monotonic relationship between the variability of the infectious period and final size in pairwise epidemic modelling
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For a recently derived pairwise model of network epidemics with non-Markovian recovery, we prove that under some mild technical conditions on the distribution of the infectious periods, smaller variance in the recovery time leads to higher reproduction number, and consequently to a larger epidemic outbreak, when the mean infectious period is fixed. We discuss how this result is related to various stochastic orderings of the distributions of infectious periods. The results are illustrated by a number of explicit stochastic simulations, suggesting that their validity goes beyond regular networks.
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We develop a new methodology for the efficient computation of epidemic final size distributions for a broad class of Markovian models. We exploit a particular representation of the stochastic epidemic process to derive a method which is both computationally efficient and numerically stable. The algorithms we present are also physically transparent and so allow us to extend this method from the basic SIR model to a model with a phase-type infectious period and another with waning immunity. The underlying theory is applicable to many Markovian models where we wish to efficiently calculate hitting probabilities.
We review research papers which use game theory to model the decision making of individuals during an epidemic, attempting to classify the literature and identify the emerging trends in this field. We show that the literature can be classified based on (i) type of population modelling (compartmental or network-based), (ii) frequency of the game (non-iterative or iterative), and (iii) type of strategy adoption (self-evaluation or imitation). We highlight that the choice of model depends on many factors such as the type of immunity the disease confers, the type of immunity the vaccine confers, and size of population and level of mixing therein. We show that while early studies used compartmental modelling with self-evaluation based strategy adoption, the recent trend is to use network-based modelling with imitation-based strategy adoption. Our review indicates that game theory continues to be an effective tool to model intervention (vaccination or social distancing) decision-making by individuals.
Pairwise models are used widely to model epidemic spread on networks. These include the modelling of susceptible-infected-removed (SIR) epidemics on regular networks and extensions to SIS dynamics and contact tracing on more exotic networks exhibiting degree heterogeneity, directed and/or weighted links and clustering. However, extra features of the disease dynamics or of the network lead to an increase in system size and analytical tractability becomes problematic. Various `closures can be used to keep the system tractable. Focusing on SIR epidemics on regular but clustered networks, we show that even for the most complex closure we can determine the epidemic threshold as an asymptotic expansion in terms of the clustering coefficient.We do this by exploiting the presence of a system of fast variables, specified by the correlation structure of the epidemic, whose steady state determines the epidemic threshold. While we do not find the steady state analytically, we create an elegant asymptotic expansion of it. We validate this new threshold by comparing it to the numerical solution of the full system and find excellent agreement over a wide range of values of the clustering coefficient, transmission rate and average degree of the network. The technique carries over to pairwise models with other closures [1] and we note that the epidemic threshold will be model dependent. This emphasises the importance of model choice when dealing with realistic outbreaks.
In a previous article [1] we have described the temporal evolution of the Sars- Cov-2 in Italy in the time window February 24-April 1. As we can see in [1] a generalized logistic equation captures both the peaks of the total infected and the deaths. In this article our goal is to study the missing peak, i.e. the currently infected one (or total currently positive). After the April 7 the large increase in the number of swabs meant that the logistical behavior of the infected curve no longer worked. So we decided to generalize the model, introducing new parameters. Moreover, we adopt a similar approach used in [1] (for the estimation of deaths) in order to evaluate the recoveries. In this way, introducing a simple conservation law, we define a model with 4 populations: total infected, currently positives, recoveries and deaths. Therefore, we propose an alternative method to a classical SIRD model for the evaluation of the Sars-Cov-2 epidemic. However, the method is general and thus applicable to other diseases. Finally we study the behavior of the ratio infected over swabs for Italy, Germany and USA, and we show as studying this parameter we recover the generalized Logistic model used in [1] for these three countries. We think that this trend could be useful for a future epidemic of this coronavirus.
The paradigm for compartment models in epidemiology assumes exponentially distributed incubation and removal times, which is not realistic in actual populations. Commonly used variations with multiple exponentially distributed variables are more flexible, yet do not allow for arbitrary distributions. We present a new formulation, focussing on the SEIR concept that allows to include general distributions of incubation and removal times. We compare the solution to two types of agent-based model simulations, a spatially homogeneous one where infection occurs by proximity, and a model on a scale-free network with varying clustering properties, where the infection between any two agents occurs via their link if it exists. We find good agreement in both cases. Furthermore a family of asymptotic solutions of the equations is found in terms of a logistic curve, which after a non-universal time shift, fits extremely well all the microdynamical simulations. The formulation allows for a simple numerical approach; software in Julia and Python is provided.
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