Fairness in the use of limited resources during a pandemic

PLoS One. 2022 Jun 16;17(6):e0270022. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270022. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Capacity limitations are indispensable measures of social distancing in fighting COVID-19 and other pandemics. The paper at hand analyzes these restrictions from the viewpoint of fairness, understood as the possibility of equal access to the scarce resource. To this end, it employs the so-called El Farol Bar problem in conjunction with an adaptive learning approach. Particular emphasis is given to the distribution of information. Our results show that information is, indeed, central to the situation. Policy recommendations are derived.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Pandemics* / prevention & control
  • Physical Distancing

Grants and funding

The author received no specific funding for this work.