Impacts of recruitment and awareness program as pandemic control strategies: A review and a case study

Abstract

In many countries, COVID-19 control is still unstable despite the  introduction of the immunization. The lack of vaccines during the pandemic in India led to the investigation of behavioral interventions as a means of reducing transmission. This study generates a mathematical model that integrates government-mandated social awareness activities and the World Health Organization's regulations during India's Unlock period, which runs from June 1, 2020 to July 11, 2020. The model assesses how well recruitment strategies and awareness efforts prevent the virus from spreading. To reduce the amount spent on awareness campaigns, an optimal control problem is developed using Pontryagin's maximum principle. Model simulations and real-world case data from four Indian states—West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, and Gujarat—compare to demonstrate how awareness initiatives could impede the dynamics of COVID-19 dissemination. In order to stem the spread of active cases, the findings highlight the significance of increasing recruitment rates and social awareness.