Designing a Model for Flu Propagation in Emergency Departments

Influenza is an acute viral infection that primarily attacks the upper respiratory tract. The disease occurs worldwide and spreads very quickly in populations, especially in crowded circumstances like Emergency Departments (ED). Influenza can be spread in three main ways, all of which are very feasible in ED environments: by the airborne route, by contaminated surfaces or from direct personal contact such as a handshake. Our research uses Agent Based Modeling and Simulation techniques to build the model and the simulation of the transmission of flu virus contact in ED. The simulator allows us to build virtual scenarios with the aim of understanding the phenomenon of flu transmission and the potential impact of the implementation of different policies in propagation rates. This work is an expansion of the previous one carried on by other members of our research group, with the aim of developing a more flexible and reasonable healthcare system simulation and modeling.