Rescinding Community Mitigation Strategies in an Influenza Pandemic
Author Information
Author(s): Davey Victoria J., Glass Robert J.
Primary Institution: Veterans Health Administration
Hypothesis
Can community mitigation strategies be safely rescinded during an influenza pandemic without increasing illness rates?
Conclusion
Rescinding community mitigation strategies can reduce the number of days they are needed without increasing illness rates.
Supporting Evidence
- The 0-case rescinding threshold was comparable to continuation strategies in controlling infection and illness rates.
- Using a 3-case threshold without reinstituting strategies led to higher peak illness rates.
- High compliance with strategies was critical for effective epidemic control.
Takeaway
This study looked at how to safely stop using certain rules during a flu outbreak without making people sick again.
Methodology
A networked, agent-based computational model was used to evaluate thresholds for rescinding community mitigation strategies after an influenza pandemic.
Limitations
The model is a simplification of reality and may not capture all complexities of real-world epidemics.
Participant Demographics
The model community consisted of 17.7% children 0–11 years, 11.3% teenagers 12–18 years, 58.5% adults 19–64 years, and 12.5% older adults >65 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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