Coupling opinion dynamics and epidemiology

Abstract

Abstract This research investigates the coupled dynamics of behavior and infectious disease using a mathematical model. We integrate a two-state q -voter opinion process with SIS-type infection dynamics, where transmission rates are influenced by opinion, and an infection-induced switching mechanism represents individuals reassessing their behavior upon infection. Analytically, we derive conditions for the stability of endemic and disease-free equilibria. Numerical simulations reveal complex dynamics: above a certain infectivity threshold, the system can exhibit alternative basins of attraction leading to a balanced endemic fixed point or stable limit cycles. Notably, the dominant asymptotic opinion and resulting epidemiological outcomes show non-monotonic relationships with infectivity, highlighting the potential for adaptive behavior to induce complex system dynamics. These findings underscore the critical role of social interventions; shifts in behavioral norms and trust can permanently alter epidemic outcomes, suggesting that such interventions are as crucial as biomedical controls.