ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a mathematical model for communicable diseases such as measles, influenza, and COVID-19. Mathematical models are important because they allow people to understand the current state of a system and predict its future states. It must be understood that the models are not the actual system. They are abstract mathematical representations of only some of its important features, the ones of relevance for our needs. It is generally interpreted as the average number of secondary infections caused by introducing a single infective individual into a susceptible population. Hospitals generally have a maximum capacity for treating acute illnesses in terms of the number of beds and available care teams. The sole purpose of the intervention is to “flatten the curve” and for ease of interpretation and explanation, people consider a stay-at-home” order.
