Urban pandemic governance personal protective equipment allocation strategies: a system dynamics simulation

In the early days of the urban pandemic, many cities had personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, which adversely affected urban pandemic governance. Using the COVID-19 strategies employed in Wuhan as the pivotal case study, this study sought to determine effective strategies to optimize city PPE distribution. System dynamics modeling was employed to explore the influence of PPE allocation strategies on pandemic control measures. It was found that the most effective method for controlling a pandemic was to supply PPE in a specific order: medical staff, patients, and out-of-home citizens. Further, prioritizing universal PPE access over adhering to recommended replacement frequencies was found to be more effective in protecting public health. These findings offer vital insights for policy formulation and pandemic preparedness planning to reduce infection rates and fatalities.