Incorporating Social Determinants of Health into Modelling of COVID-19 and other Infectious Diseases: A Baseline Socio-economic Compartmental Model

The role of socio-economic conditions has been largely implicit in mathematical epidemiological models. However, measures to address the current pandemic, specifically the relevant interventions proposing physical distancing, have highlighted how social determinants affect contagion and mortality dynamics of COVID-19. For the most part, these social determinants are not present in either policy discussions or in epidemiological models. We argue for the importance of incorporating social determinants of health into the modelling dynamics of COVID-19, and show how global variation of these conditions may be integrated into relevant models. In doing so, we also highlight a key political economy aspect of reproduction dynamics in epidemics. •Social determinants affecting contagion and mortality dynamics of COVID-19.•Including social determinants of health in epidemiological models.•Introducing a baseline socio-economic compartmental model.