Understanding the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Preface

Chapter 1. Coronaviruses: Understanding the Spread of Infectious Diseases and Mobilizing Innovative Solutions (Committee on Science, Space, and Technology)

Chapter 2. Infectious Disease Modeling: Opportunities to Improve Coordination and Ensure Reproducibility (United States Government Accountability Office)

Index

Outbreaks of infectious diseases—such as Ebola, Zika, and pandemic viruses—have raised concerns from Congress about how federal agencies use modeling to, among other things, predict disease distribution and potential impacts. Chapter 1 discusses emerging infectious diseases, in light of the recent coronavirus outbreak, and the modeling tools used to detect, predict, and understand the spread of such diseases. Chapter 2 examines the extent to which HHS used models to inform policy, planning, and resource allocation for public health decisions; the extent to which HHS coordinated modeling efforts; steps HHS generally takes to assess model development and performance; and the extent to which HHS has addressed challenges related to modeling.