Journal Article

FZJ-2026-01065

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Agent-based modeling for realistic reproduction of human mobility and contact behavior to evaluate test and isolation strategies in epidemic infectious disease spread

Kerkmann, D. (Corresponding author) ; Korf, S. (Corresponding author) ; Nguyen, K. ; Abele, D. ; Schengen, A. ; Gerstein, C. ; Göbbert, J. H.FZJ* ; Basermann, A. ; Kühn, M. J. (Corresponding author) ; Meyer-Hermann, M. (Corresponding author)

2025
Elsevier Science Amsterdam [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2025.110269  doi:10.34734/FZJ-2026-01065

Abstract: Agent-based models have proven to be useful tools in supporting decision-making processes in different application domains. The advent of modern computers and supercomputers has enabled these bottom-up approaches to realistically model human mobility and contact behavior.<br>The COVID-19 pandemic showcased the urgent need for detailed and informative models that can answer research questions on transmission dynamics. We present a sophisticated agent-based model to simulate the spread of respiratory diseases. The model is highly modularized and can be used on various scales, from a small collection of buildings up to cities or countries. Although not being the focus of this paper, the model has undergone performance engineering on a single core and provides an efficient intra- and inter-simulation parallelization for time-critical decision-making processes.<br>In order to allow answering research questions on individual level resolution, nonpharmaceutical intervention strategies such as face masks or venue closures can be implemented for particular locations or agents. In particular, we allow for sophisticated testing and isolation strategies to study the effects of minimal-invasive infectious disease mitigation.<br>With realistic human mobility patterns for the region of Brunswick, Germany, we study the effects of different interventions between March 1st and May 30, 2021 in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Our analyses suggest that symptom-independent testing has limited impact on the mitigation of disease dynamics if the dark figure in symptomatic cases is high. Furthermore, we found that quarantine length is more important than quarantine efficiency but that, with sufficient symptomatic control, also short quarantines can have a substantial effect.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Jülich Supercomputing Center (JSC)

Research Program(s):

1. 5112 - Cross-Domain Algorithms, Tools, Methods Labs (ATMLs) and Research Groups (POF4-511) (POF4-511)

Appears in the scientific report 2025; 2025

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Database coverage:
; ; ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection

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