The effects of risk perception based on local or global information in suppressing the spread of infectious diseases

This paper aims to investigate the role of individuals’ perceptions of infection risk in suppressing the spread of infectious diseases. It also examines whether global or local information is more effective in preventing infections. We developed an agent-based model in which 100[Formula: see text]000 individuals are connected in a small-world network. Infection information for the entire population was classified as global information, and infection information for the surroundings of a specific individual was classified as local information. The degree of response to infection risk information was measured using a normalized tunable sigmoid function. Higher sensitivity to infection risk increases the implementation of preventive measures, which reduces the spread of infectious disease. The use of global information on infection risk has been shown to be more useful in suppressing infections in general. However, if infected people around us can be recognized immediately and personal quarantine is quickly followed, the use of local information has been shown to be the most cost-effective way to end infections. Our study emphasizes the importance of individuals recognizing and responding to infected people around them to effectively control the spread of infectious diseases. It demonstrates that higher sensitivity to infection risk leads to better adherence to preventive measures, which in turn reduces disease transmission. These findings suggest that individual awareness and behavior play a critical role in managing infectious diseases.