Darren Hoover (Cambridge)
"Social distancing in coupled metapopulations"
Abstract: One of the most prominent tools used to combat the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing, a measure which reduces an individual's risk of infection at a personal cost. While several studies within economic epidemiology have explored how social distancing levels can be endogenously determined, they have typically done so considering a single population in isolation and have ignored the spatial effects of a disease spread. I introduce a model of endogenous social distancing to a spatial SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) epidemiological model of coupled metapopulations. I focus on the problem from the perspective of noncooperative individuals choosing to socially distance, as well as from the perspective of a welfare-maximising global/regional social planner. With this construct, I aim to study how social distancing levels are influenced by the disease prevalence in interacting regions, and how they impact the spread of a disease both within and between regions. Additionally, I plan to analyse the importance of coordination between regional social planners in achieving efficient disease control results.
When: Monday 17th May 2021 - 1:00pm
Where: Zoom
Reading Group: Theory Workshop