How control theory can help us control Covid-19
Greg Stewart, Klaskevan Heusden, Guy A. Dumont
Abstract
Around the globe, epidemiologists, statisticians, biologists, and health officials are grappling with these questions. Though engineering perspectives are uncommon in epidemiological modeling, we believe that in this case public officials could greatly benefit from one. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic isn't an obvious or typical engineering problem. But in its basic behavior it is an unstable, open-loop system. Left alone, it grows exponentially. However, there's good news, too: Like many such systems, it can be stabilized effectively and efficiently by applying the principles of control theory, most notably the use of feedback.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)PandemicGlobeControl (management)2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Computer sciencePublic healthComputer securityManagement scienceEngineeringMedicineArtificial intelligenceVirologyInfectious disease (medical specialty)DiseaseOutbreakNursingOphthalmologyPathologyCOVID-19 epidemiological studies