The Influence of Social Distancing Awareness on Epidemic Spreading in Social Networks

In this paper, we propose a epidemic-social distancing awareness dynamics model, and the impact of awareness of maintaining social distance on the spread of epidemics is investigated. The effect of maintaining social distance on eradicating epidemics is explored by analyzing the stability of the equilibrium state of the epidemic-social distance awareness dynamic model. When the infectiousness of virus is mild, the epidemic can be eliminated regardless of the individual’s awareness. When the infectiousness of virus is moderate, introducing some stubborn individuals can also eradicate the epidemic. When the infectiousness of virus is high, introducing some stubborn individuals can reduce the level of infection within the community. Using the real data from a sample of Australians, we apply the proposed epidemic-social distancing awareness dynamics model to explore the impact of maintaining social distance on COVID-19.