The pattern of information flow surrounding an epidemic outbreak dictates an individual's response to the outbreak, according to new research that will be published in the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics next week.
By studying informational networks, researchers could tabulate any adaptation in humans' behavioral responses based on pattern of news coverage by social and mass media sources. This knowledge can help inform preventative measures infected populations can take to stop widespread disease circulation.
"Traditionally, infectious disease models have treated human behaviors as constant, implying that they do not fluctuate according to disease incidence or a characteristic timescale," the study authors said. "However, the development of modern technology offers a great convenience for the communication of human behaviors, including face-to-face conversations, email exchanges, phone calls and other types of interactions in a variety of network forums."
When a public health epidemic occurs, drug companies and vaccine developers do not have the means to quickly isolate the virus and create a vaccine. This research illustrates that individual behavioral actions can help slow down the spread of a virus until a vaccine can be developed.
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