Managing school interaction networks during the COVID-19 pandemic: Agent-based modeling for evaluating possible scenarios when students go back to classrooms

Autor: Rodrigo Huerta-Quintanilla, Ana María Hernández-Hernández
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Institutional Funding of Science
Viral Diseases
Students
Medical
Systems Analysis
Epidemiology
Social Sciences
Systems Science
Social Networking
Medical Conditions
Sociology
Agent-Based Modeling
State (polity)
Phenomenon
Pandemic
Medicine and Health Sciences
Public and Occupational Health
media_common
Schools
Multidisciplinary
Simulation and Modeling
Hygiene
Viral Load
Public relations
Infectious Diseases
Work (electrical)
Physical Sciences
Medicine
Psychology
Research Article
Computer and Information Sciences
Universities
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Science Policy
Process (engineering)
Science
media_common.quotation_subject
Research and Analysis Methods
Microbiology
Research Funding
Education
Virology
Humans
Pandemics
Mexico
business.industry
Biology and Life Sciences
COVID-19
Covid 19
Convalescence
Health Care
Friendship
Systems analysis
business
Mathematics
Viral Transmission and Infection
Zdroj: PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 8, p e0256363 (2021)
PLoS ONE
ISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256363
Popis: The most unexpected and toughest phenomenon that has occurred in recent times is the global COVID-19 pandemic. One of the first measures to prevent the spread of the disease was to close educational institutions. The students were forced to start a learning process through social networks and web platforms. In some countries, a return to face-to-face classes was established. However, weeks later, some of them had to return to virtual activities due to an upswing in the COVID-19 cases. In Mexico, classes have been held virtually, with face-to-face activities only re-established in two of the 32 states. In our state, Yucatan, scholarly activities are still virtual. In this work, the dispersion of COVID-19 at different academic establishments in Yucatan was simulated. Networks of Friendship, noncordial treatment, family ties and study groups were considered. Based on these networks, we evaluated the possibility of returning to school without inducing a rebound in the COVID-19 cases in the state. Agent-based simulations were used, with each student as an agent. Interaction rules were established based on international research regarding good practices in times of COVID-19. We used seven networks from different academic institutions, ranging from primary through college level. As a result, possible contagion curves were obtained for different scenarios, which leads to a discussion about the measures that would be relevant once a return to face-to-face classes is overseen. Simulations show that isolating students and reducing the number of students in the same classroom are good strategies and substantially reduce the possible contagiousness.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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