English

A model for an epidemic with contact tracing and cluster isolation, and a detection paradox

Probability 2022-10-04 v2

Abstract

We determine the distributions of some random variables related to a simple model of an epidemic with contact tracing and cluster isolation. This enables us to apply general limit theorems for super-critical Crump-Mode-Jagers branching processes. Notably, we compute explicitly the asymptotic proportion of isolated clusters with a given size amongst all isolated clusters, conditionally on survival of the epidemic. Somewhat surprisingly, the latter differs from the distribution of the size of a typical cluster at the time of its detection; and we explain the reasons behind this seeming paradox.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2201.01924,
  title  = {A model for an epidemic with contact tracing and cluster isolation, and a detection paradox},
  author = {Jean Bertoin},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.01924},
  year   = {2022}
}