The contact process with an asymptomatic state

The contact process serves as a foundational model for understanding epidemics, drawing from the concept of interacting particle systems. These systems include stochasticity, as well as spatial elements through a network of interactions. In this presentation, we will study a natural variant of the contact process that differentiates between asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. Newly infected individuals are asymptomatic and may transition to a symptomatic state before recovery. In addition, the rate at which infected individuals transmit the disease may vary based on whether or not they exhibit symptoms, but all infected individuals recover at the same rate. One of our key findings reveals that this process displays specific qualitative behaviors not captured by models based on ordinary differential equations, highlighting the importance of local interactions. This is a joint work with Lamia Belhadji and Max Mercer.