The effect of time distribution shape on simulated epidemic models

Abstract

By convention, and even more often, as an unintentional consequence of design, time distributions of latency and infectious durations in stochastic epidemic simulations are often exponential. The skewed distribtion typically leads to unrealistically short times. We examine the effects of altering the distribution latency and infectious times by comparing the key results after simulation with exponential and gamma distributions in a homogeneous mixing model aswell as a model with regional divisions connected by a travel intensity matrix. We show a delay in spread with more realistic latency times and offer an explanation of the effect.