SARS-CoV-2 and self-medication in Cameroon: a mathematical model

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Mathematical Biology
• Public Health in Africa

Background:

• Self-medication is a prevalent initial health-seeking behavior in Africa, often involving traditional medicines.
• Misconceptions about the efficacy of traditional medicines may lead to their use for COVID-19 prevention and management.
• Understanding self-medication's impact is crucial for accurate COVID-19 dynamics prediction in African populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate and analyze a mathematical model for COVID-19 dynamics in Cameroon.
• To incorporate the role of self-medication within a compartmental, age-structured epidemiological model.
• To propose policy interventions for managing self-medication during a COVID-19 epidemic.

Main Methods:

• Development of a system of compartmental ordinary differential equations (ODEs).
• Age-structuring of the human population into two classes based on immune strength.
• Analysis of the model to understand disease transmission dynamics influenced by self-medication.

Main Results:

• The study provides a framework for analyzing COVID-19 spread considering self-medication practices.
• The model quantifies the potential influence of self-medicated individuals on epidemic trajectories.
• Insights are generated for targeted public health interventions.

Conclusions:

• Self-medication significantly impacts COVID-19 dynamics and must be integrated into epidemiological models for African contexts.
• Mathematical modeling offers a valuable tool for evaluating policy measures against self-medication.
• Effective epidemic control requires addressing traditional medicine use and public health education.