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Pubblicato il 14/01/2013Read time: 1 min

Researchers in economy and computer science at Wake Forest University used an online computer game to simulate the spread of an infectious disease, in order to understand why less than half of the American population has gotten a vaccination against flu, in spite of the severe outbreaks reported this season.

Their study is the first one in economic epidemiology which makes use of virtual diseases to address important issues in the development of preventive healthcare strategies. “Our research shows that to prevent an epidemic, there is a need to tailor a menu of options for different kinds of people,” said Frederick Chen, first author of the article which described the work, published on January on PLoS ONE.

The multiplayer game allowed to test behavior that could not be tested in real life, since it is not possible to give some people treatment and others not. Thanks to this simulation, researchers concluded that if the cost of self-protection is higher, people are more inclined to take a risk, trying to see if they can stay healthy without paying for the vaccination. The model also showed that the number of those who chose to protect themselves increased as the number of people infected around them.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0052814

An economic game to improve disease prevention

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The embarrassing Covid

di Stefania Salmaso

Pubblicato il 02/10/2023

There's a certain discomfort in having to talk about Covid-19 again, as demanded by the increase in cases that is also recorded in Italy. The reason, writes epidemiologist Stefania Salmaso, might perhaps be identified in the lack of a transparent process that allows understanding on what basis the health authority formulates recommendations, leading to reliance on pundits.

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Epidemiology

“An embarrassing Covid-19”: It could be the title of a short story by Calvino or a rhyme by Rodari, but it's what we're witnessing these days. The increasing frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infections in various areas of the world, including Italy, has forced mainstream media to address it again. However, it's often discussed with a sort of embarrassment and only for the sake of reporting. When discussing possible countermeasures, the discomfort becomes even more apparent.