Optimal control of a fractional order model for the COVID - 19 pandemic.

Abstract

In this paper a fractional optimal control problem was formulated for the outbreak of COVID-19 using a mathematical model with fractional order derivative in the Caputo sense. The state and co-state equations were given and the best strategy to significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections was found by introducing two time-dependent control measures, (which represents the awareness campaign, lockdown, and all other measures that reduce the possibility of contacting the disease in susceptible human population) and (which represents quarantine, monitoring and treatment of infected humans). Numerical simulations were carried out using RK-4 to show the significance of the control functions. The exposed population in susceptible population is reduced by the factor () due to the awareness and all other measures taken. Likewise, the infected population is reduced by a factor of () due to the monitoring and treatment by health professionals.