A global sharing mechanism of resources: modeling a crucial step in the fight against pandemics
G.K. den Nijs, J. Edivaldo, B.D.L. Chatel, J.F. Uleman, M. Olde, Rikkert, H. Wertheim, R. Quax

TL;DR
This paper proposes a cooperative global resource sharing model for pandemic response, demonstrating that such mechanisms can prevent local resource shortages and reduce infections, especially if infection spread delays are managed.
Contribution
It introduces a stylized model for resource sharing among communities during pandemics, highlighting the importance of timing and coordination for effectiveness.
Findings
Sharing resources reduces local shortages and infection rates.
Longer delays between epidemic onsets improve sharing effectiveness.
Global sharing mechanisms can enhance pandemic resilience.
Abstract
To face pandemics like the one caused by COVID-19, resources such as personal protection equipment (PPE) are needed to reduce the infection rate and protect those in close contact with patients (Heymann and Shindo, 2020; Klompas et al., 2021). The demand for those products increases exponentially as the number of infected grows, outpacing any growth that local production facilities can achieve (Ranney et al., 2020, Wu et al., 2020). Disruptions in the global supply chain by closing factories or scaled-down transport routes can further increase resource scarcity (McMahon et al., 2020). During the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed a reflex of `our people first' in many regions, countries, and continents (Baldwin and Evenett, 2020). In this paper, however, we show that a cooperative sharing mechanism can substantially improve the ability to face epidemics. We present a…
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Taxonomy
TopicsCOVID-19 epidemiological studies
