Pandemic Control in ECON-EPI Networks

Fabrizio Perri, Marina Azzimonti, Alessandra Fogli and Mark Ponder

No 15229, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: We develop an ECON-EPI network model to evaluate policies designed to improve health and economic outcomes during a pandemic. Relative to the standard epidemiological SIR set-up, we explicitly model social contacts among individuals and allow for heterogeneity in their number and stability. In addition, we embed the network in a structural economic model describing how contacts generate economic activity. We calibrate it to the New York metro area during the 2020 COVID-19 crisis and show three main results. First, the ECON-EPI network implies patterns of infections that better match the data compared to the standard SIR. The switching during the early phase of the pandemic from unstable to stable contacts is crucial for this result. Second, the model suggests the design of smart policies that reduce infections and at the same time boost economic activity. Third, the model shows that re-opening sectors characterized by numerous and unstable contacts (such as large events or schools) too early leads to fast growth of infections.

Keywords: Complex networks; Covid-19; Epidemiology; Sir; Social distance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D85 E23 E65 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea, nep-mac and nep-net
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (28)

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Working Paper: Pandemic Control in ECON-EPI Networks (2020)
Working Paper: Pandemic Control in ECON-EPI Networks (2020)
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