Infectious disease control as network interventions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were implemented globally to mitigate the spread of the infection. Most NPIs can be classified using Thomas Valente’s network intervention framework and its four categories: individuals, segmentation, induction, and alteration. However, the relationship of this framework and NPIs in the context of epidemics has not been thoroughly discussed. Therefore, we visualized NPI strategies operating during an epidemic using social network graphs and characterized each NPI with a corresponding hypothetical reproductive number to address this knowledge gap. We complement these visual aids with a glossary of technical terms used in infectious disease modeling that may be useful for scientists and policymakers. This discussion provides a concise summary that non-technical audiences can use to disseminate information to the public about the mechanism of action of various types of NPIs used during epidemics.