Testing, Voluntary Social Distancing, and the Spread of an Infection

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Acemoglu, Daron; Makhdoumi, Ali; Malekian, Azarakhsh; Ozdaglar, Asuman
• 署名单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Duke University; University of Toronto; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• 刊物名称: OPERATIONS RESEARCH
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0030-364X
• DOI: 10.1287/opre.2021.2220
• 发表日期: 2024
• 关键词: safety regulation; MODEL; BEHAVIOR

摘要

We study the effects of testing policy on voluntary social distancing and the spread of an infection. Agents decide their social activity level, which determines a social network over which the virus spreads. Testing enables the isolation of infected individuals, slowing down the infection. However, greater testing also reduces voluntary social distancing or increases social activity, exacerbating the spread of the virus. We show that the effect of testing on infections is nonmonotone. This nonmonotonicity also implies that the leave some of the of unused.