Impact of Media Awareness and Use of Face-Masks on Infectious Respiratory Disease

Abstract

Infectious respiratory diseases have been a threat to our lives and livelihoods. Communities with a higher population density ultimately are at a higher risk of a rapid spread of infectious disease once they occur. Mathematical models have extensively been used to analyse the impact of several mitigation measures to the transmission of infectious diseases. The focus of this study is to determine the impact of media awareness, use of face-masks alongside quarantine and isolation on the transmission dynamics of a respiratory infection where there is no available vaccination or treatment plan. The model is based on a system of deterministic ordinary differential equations (ODE’s). By the use of the next generation matrix (NGM), the basic reproduction is determined. The local stability analysis analysis of the disease free equilibrium (DFE) is obtained by the trace-determinant approach while it’s global stability was determined by the use of the Lyapunov-Krasovskii method. It was established that the local DFE was asymptotically stable while it was unstable globally implying that with application of this intended strategies, the transmission of the disease could be lowered but not eradicated. The importance of media awareness to any campaign towards reduction of transmission is paramount. Effort should be geared towards the public having correct information on a given disease. The impact of face mask is dependent on the efficacy of the face - mask and its compliant and consistent use, these two factors are multiplicative. Numerical simulations were done by the use of Python software and it was established that if quarantine rate and the isolation rate was to be maximised then the disease would be curtailed. The results of this study gives valuable information on the intervention strategies to be applied by the public heath officials.