CAIMS - PIMS Coronavirus Modelling Conference

The mathematical modelling of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the spread of the disease COVID-19 is focussing on two major objectives. The first one is to understand and manage the epidemiology of the disease. To understand the transition of the epidemic through the society, to forecast the impact of social distancing and other measures, and to help manage the outbreak on the global and local scales. Secondly, modellers are interested in the within-host dynamics of the virus. How does the virus enter the body, how does it spread, how does it interact with the immune system, how does it react to medications, and how does it lead to death in critical cases? Linking the scales, there are people studying the physical transmission characteristics though aerosols, droplets or direct contact.

The modelling tools used to investigate these questions of COVID-19 epidemiology and physiology include a wide range of methods such as individual based models, stochastic models, statistical analysis and machine learning, and differential equation models. These
models become more refined as more and more COVID-19 data become available. The community works closely with clinicians and experimentalists, with access to current data.
COVID-19 Conference

Many of the research groups have made progress and some sophisticated models have been presented on preprint servers. Now is the right time to bring researchers together to exchange ideas and to learn from each other. COVID-19 models are published on a weekly basis and it is difficult to keep track. This conference will help us to paint a fuller picture of the activities, and to critically discuss alternative approaches. It will allow us to exchange data and expertise, and to connect to governments and the public.