Cargando…

Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces

The extensive use of touchscreens for all manner of human–computer interactions has made them plausible instruments of touch-mediated disease transmission. To that end, we employ stochastic simulations to model human–fomite interaction with a distinct focus on touchscreen interfaces. The timings and...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Di Battista, Andrew, Nicolaides, Christos, Georgiou, Orestis
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: The Royal Society 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8316822/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34350020
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210625
_version_ 1783729943318888448
author Di Battista, Andrew
Nicolaides, Christos
Georgiou, Orestis
author_facet Di Battista, Andrew
Nicolaides, Christos
Georgiou, Orestis
author_sort Di Battista, Andrew
collection PubMed
description The extensive use of touchscreens for all manner of human–computer interactions has made them plausible instruments of touch-mediated disease transmission. To that end, we employ stochastic simulations to model human–fomite interaction with a distinct focus on touchscreen interfaces. The timings and frequency of interactions from within a closed population of infectious and susceptible individuals was modelled using a queuing network. A pseudo-reproductive number R was used to compare outcomes under various parameter conditions. We then apply the simulation to a specific real-world scenario; namely that of airport self-check-in and baggage drop. A counterintuitive result was that R decreased with increased touch rates required for touchscreen interaction. Additionally, as one of few parameters to be controlled, the rate of cleaning/disinfecting screens plays an essential role in mitigating R, though alternative technological strategies could prove more effective. The simulation model developed provides a foundation for future advances in more sophisticated fomite disease-transmission modelling.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-8316822
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2021
publisher The Royal Society
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-83168222021-08-03 Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces Di Battista, Andrew Nicolaides, Christos Georgiou, Orestis R Soc Open Sci Mathematics The extensive use of touchscreens for all manner of human–computer interactions has made them plausible instruments of touch-mediated disease transmission. To that end, we employ stochastic simulations to model human–fomite interaction with a distinct focus on touchscreen interfaces. The timings and frequency of interactions from within a closed population of infectious and susceptible individuals was modelled using a queuing network. A pseudo-reproductive number R was used to compare outcomes under various parameter conditions. We then apply the simulation to a specific real-world scenario; namely that of airport self-check-in and baggage drop. A counterintuitive result was that R decreased with increased touch rates required for touchscreen interaction. Additionally, as one of few parameters to be controlled, the rate of cleaning/disinfecting screens plays an essential role in mitigating R, though alternative technological strategies could prove more effective. The simulation model developed provides a foundation for future advances in more sophisticated fomite disease-transmission modelling. The Royal Society 2021-07-28 /pmc/articles/PMC8316822/ /pubmed/34350020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210625 Text en © 2021 The Authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Mathematics
Di Battista, Andrew
Nicolaides, Christos
Georgiou, Orestis
Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces
title Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces
title_full Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces
title_fullStr Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces
title_full_unstemmed Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces
title_short Modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces
title_sort modelling disease transmission from touchscreen user interfaces
topic Mathematics
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8316822/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34350020
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210625
work_keys_str_mv AT dibattistaandrew modellingdiseasetransmissionfromtouchscreenuserinterfaces
AT nicolaideschristos modellingdiseasetransmissionfromtouchscreenuserinterfaces
AT georgiouorestis modellingdiseasetransmissionfromtouchscreenuserinterfaces