Disease dynamics in a stochastic network game: a little empathy goes a long way in averting outbreaks.

ABSTRACT: Individuals change their behavior during an epidemic in response to whether they and/or those they interact with are healthy or sick. Healthy individuals may utilize protective measures to avoid contracting a disease. Sick individuals may utilize preemptive measures to avoid spreading a disease. Yet, in practice both protective and preemptive changes in behavior come with costs. This paper proposes a stochastic network disease game model that captures the self-interests of individuals during the spread of a susceptible-infected-susceptible disease. In this model, individuals strategically modify their behavior based on current disease conditions. These reactions influence disease spread. We show that there is a critical level of concern, i.e., empathy, by the sick individuals above which d

SUBMITTER: Eksin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5349521 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature