Using Agent-Based Modeling to Examine Risk for COVID-19 Infection in Custodial Settings.
J Correct Health Care
; 30(1): 33-39, 2024 Feb.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38232488
ABSTRACT
Research on pandemics in institutional settings often assumes that all human interactions within a jail pose similar viral transmission risks. We developed an agent-based model (ABM) called Simulation Applications for Forecasting Effective Responses in Corrections (SAFER-C™) to simulate nine scenarios of possible interactions and virus transmission among incarcerated individuals and jail staff and tested this assumption. We found that resumption of high-contact activities has a greater impact on the number of infections, while out-of-cell group sizes and initial vaccination rates had lower impact. This work emphasizes the importance of understanding and modeling human interactions in confinement facilities, as well as understanding, responding to, and limiting the mechanism of viral transmission in jails. Insights from ABMs provide correctional administrators with realistic options for managing responses.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Prisoners
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
J Correct Health Care
Journal subject:
SAUDE PUBLICA
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States