Effectiveness of Various Prevention Measures in a Pandemic

Abstract

In a previous article, a model for the coronavirus pandemic was developed. This model was based on simple, uninhibited population growth with rate of infection assumed to be proportional to the existing infected population. Validity of this model was verified by testing it against the infection case data published by the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization for the United States and the world, respectively. Discrepancies between infection case data and model predictions can be accounted for by implementation of infection prevention measures enforced during the pandemic. The goal of this article is to explore which prevention measures were most effective in reducing the spread of coronavirus in the United States. It turns out that among various prevention measures implemented, lockdown is by far the most effective one.