National Laboratory for Health Security  Division of Mathematical Epidemiology

Social Science Research Group

1 March 2022 – 28 February 2026

 

The main objective of our research group is to monitor the social factors influencing the course of the COVID-19 epidemic and to analyse the social impact of the epidemic.

In an epidemiological and disease modelling approach, people's behaviour, their attitudes towards compliance and their willingness to cooperate have a major impact on the spread of the epidemic and the outcome of the disease. This is strongly influenced by their willingness for actions, values and beliefs, and social environment, discourses and explanations. Emerging discourses such as virus denial or vaccine aversion can greatly reduce the likelihood of effective behaviour. Therefore, monitoring these processes can help to formulate appropriate measures and policy recommendations.

In addition to contact pattern measurements for epidemic modelling, i.e., research on the explicit effects of diseases, we plan to conduct research on the explicit effects of diseases and their implicit social consequences. The economic impacts of a pandemic can have a major impact on society, affecting people's opportunities, perspectives, and actions. By mapping these implicit consequences, we can formulate epidemic plans that reduce social and economic damage while implementing necessary measures. Additionally, studying the social and economic negative impacts of diseases with higher prevalence can help identify the disease groups with the highest damage, and introduce policy measures to reduce them.

Members of the research team: Anna Sára Ligeti, Ádám Stefkovics, Szilvia Rudas

The national laboratory consortium is described here.