Optimal Quarantine and Isolation Control in SEQIJR SARS Model

This paper discusses the application of the optimal control to a SEQIJR SARS model. In the model, two control variables representing the quarantine and isolation strategies are considered. The necessary conditions for the corresponding optimal control in the sense of minimum cost are obtained via the maximum principle. The numerical control laws are presented in an iterative method. The simulation results demonstrate that the maximum applications of quarantining and isolation strategies in the early phase of the epidemic are typical characteristics of the optimal control. Otherwise, the control effect will be much worse. This gives a theoretical interpretation to the fact that the early quarantine and isolation strategies are critically important to control the outbreaks of epidemics