Impact of opinion formation phenomena in epidemic dynamics: kinetic modeling on networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a kinetic modeling framework that integrates opinion formation and social influence into epidemic dynamics, highlighting how social media and connectivity affect disease spread and public behavior.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach combining epidemic and opinion dynamics on networks, capturing the influence of social media and connectivity on disease transmission.

Findings

Model reproduces epidemic waves influenced by social opinion dynamics.

Highly connected individuals significantly impact epidemic progression.

Framework enhances understanding of social influence on epidemic control.

Abstract

After the recent COVID-19 outbreaks, it became increasingly evident that individuals' thoughts and beliefs can have a strong impact on disease transmission. It becomes therefore important to understand how information and opinions on protective measures evolve during epidemics. To this end, incorporating the impact of social media is essential to take into account the hierarchical structure of these platforms. In this context, we present a novel approach to take into account the interplay between infectious disease dynamics and socially-structured opinion dynamics. Our work extends a conventional compartmental framework including behavioral attitudes in shaping public opinion and promoting the adoption of protective measures under the influence of different degrees of connectivity. The proposed approach is capable to reproduce the emergence of epidemic waves. Specifically, it provides a clear link between the social influence of highly connected individuals and the epidemic dynamics. Through a heterogeneity of numerical tests we show how this comprehensive framework offers a more nuanced understanding of epidemic dynamics in the context of modern information dissemination and social behavior.