Epidemics on networks: Reducing disease transmission using health emergency declarations and peer communication

Azizi, Asma; Montalvo, Cesar; Espinoza, Baltazar; Kang, Yun; Castillo-Chavez, Carlos

We used a network model to model the spread of infection and risk information within a population of individuals in different epidemiological states, education levels and information states. In our model infection spreads within an SIR framework while awareness disseminates only among susceptible individuals. Specifically, when a fraction of the infected people reaches a pre-determined threshold, public health officials start a massive information campaign on the risk and severity of infection. Information is transmitted by those not infected only. Awareness dynamics are triggered by public health authorities with the objective of conveying information about risk and severity of infection via aware susceptible individuals to unaware susceptible neighbors in the network. The level of awareness achieved is tied in to the educational level of each individual and the disease prevalence. Aware susceptible individuals can become indifferent, stop propagating information on the risk of infection, after sometime.