Optimal control of a fractional order model for the COVID – 19 pandemic

In this paper a fractional optimal control problem was formulated for the outbreak of COVID-19 using a mathematical model with fractional order derivative in the Caputo sense. The state and co-state equations were given and the best strategy to significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections was found by introducing two time-dependent control measures, [Formula: see text] (which represents the awareness campaign, lockdown, and all other measures that reduce the possibility of contacting the disease in susceptible human population) and [Formula: see text] (which represents quarantine, monitoring and treatment of infected humans). Numerical simulations were carried out using RK-4 to show the significance of the control functions. The exposed population in susceptible population is reduced by the factor ([Formula: see text]) due to the awareness and all other measures taken. Likewise, the infected population is reduced by a factor of ([Formula: see text]) due to the monitoring and treatment by health professionals.