Simulation of mitigation strategies for a pandemic influenza

Millions of people have been infected and died as results of influenza pandemics in human history. In order to prepare for these disasters, it is important to know how the disease spreads. Further, intervention strategies should be implemented during the pandemics to mitigate their ill effects. Knowledge of how these interventions will affect the pandemic course is paramount for decision makers. This paper develops an agent-based simulation model of a pandemic within a generic US metropolitan area, along with the effects associated with mitigation strategies involving home confinement and school closure. Also, a comparison of the two strategies and their variants is presented.