May 3, 2021

Individually Optimal Choices Can Be Collectively Disastrous in COVID-19 Disease Control

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions

Keywords (Tags): modeling, non-pharm interventions

• A modeling study of noncompliance with measures aimed at limiting SARS-CoV-2 transmission found that a portion of the population that is noncompliant can result in extensive endemic disease in the long-term after a return to pre-pandemic activity. Using game theory to assess whether noncompliance is perceived as beneficial to individuals, the authors found that for interventions that are effective at preventing disease spread, the consequences of noncompliance are more often borne by noncompliant individuals. 

Stoddard et al. (Dec 30, 2021). Individually Optimal Choices Can Be Collectively Disastrous in COVID-19 Disease Control. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10829-2