Rapid decay in the relative efficiency of quarantine to halt epidemics in networks

Abstract

Several recent studies have tackled the issue of optimal network immunization by providing efficient criteria to identify key nodes to be removed in order to break apart a network, thus preventing the occurrence of extensive epidemic outbreaks. Yet, although the efficiency of those criteria has been demonstrated also in empirical networks, preventive immunization is rarely applied to real-world scenarios, where the usual approach is the a posteriori attempt to contain epidemic outbreaks using quarantine measures. Here we compare the efficiency of prevention with that of quarantine in terms of the tradeoff between the number of removed and saved nodes on both synthetic and empirical topologies. We show how, consistent with common sense, but contrary to common practice, in many cases preventing is better than curing: depending on network structure, rescuing an infected network by quarantine could become inefficient soon after the first infection.

arXiv comment10 pages, 7 figures

References in corpus (15)

• Epidemic processes in complex networks
• Spatial Networks
• Critical phenomena in complex networks
• Immunization of complex networks
• Influence maximization in complex networks through optimal percolation
• Efficient Immunization Strategies for Computer Networks and Populations
• Generation of uncorrelated random scale-free networks
• Network dismantling
• Fast and simple decycling and dismantling of networks
• Immunization and targeted destruction of networks using explosive percolation
• The effects of network structure, competition and memory time on social spreading phenomena
• Fundamental difference between superblockers and superspreaders in networks
• Assessing node risk and vulnerability in epidemics on networks
• Efficiency of prompt quarantine measures on a susceptible-infected-removed model in networks
• On the numerical study of percolation and epidemic critical properties in networks

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Epidemic control in networks with cliques
• Impact of assortative mixing by mask-wearing on the propagation of epidemics in networks
• New approximations, and policy implications, from a delayed dynamic model of a fast pandemic
• Complete dimensional collapse in the continuum limit of a delayed SEIQR network model with separable distributed infectivity