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Measuring how a disease outbreak could spread in WA

Investigators: Gerry Ryan, Nick Golding, Nick Tierney, Sherlynn Ang

Project description

In a recently FHRI-funded project to be completed in 2021, The Kids researchers are measuring how COVID-19 or any other infectious disease could spread through Western Australia's population. Different people, types of workplace, and demographics vary a lot in how many people they are in close contact with on a daily basis. The more close contacts a person has, the more people they could transmit an infectious disease to, if they were infected. By surveying thousands of WA residents about who they have recently come into close contact with, we can build up a picture of how an infectious disease like COVID-19 could spread from an arriving traveller through dfferent workplaces or demographic groups, and the risk posed to the most vulnerable people in our state. This information can then be used by the state Health Department to work out how best to deal with a disease outbreak.