Mathematical assessment of the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on curtailing the 2019 novel Coronavirus

A novel Coronavirus pandemic emerged in December of 2019, causing devastating public health impact across the world. In the absence of a safe and effective vaccine or antivirals, strategies for mitigating the burden of the pandemic are focused on non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social-distancing, contact-tracing, quarantine, isolation and the use of face-masks in public. We develop a new mathematical model for assessing the population-level impact of these mitigation strategies. Simulations of the model, using data relevant to COVID-19 transmission in the state of New York and the entire US, show that the pandemic will peak in mid and late April, respectively. The worst-case scenario projections for cumulative mortality are 105, 100 for New York state and 164, 000 for the entire US by the end of the pandemic. These numbers decrease by 80% and 64%, respectively, if adherence to strict social-distancing measures is improved and maintained until the end of May or June. This study shows that early termination of strict social-distancing measures could trigger a devastating second wave with burden similar to that projected before the onset of strict social-distance measures. The use of efficacious face-masks (efficacy greater than 70%) could lead to the elimination of the pandemic if at least 70% of the residents of New York state use such masks consistently (nationwide, a compliance of at least 80% will be required using such masks). The use of low efficacy masks, such as cloth masks (of efficacy less than 30%), could also lead to significant reduction of COVID-19 burden (albeit, they are not able to lead to elimination). Combining low efficacy masks with improved levels of the other anti-COVID-19 intervention strategies can lead to elimination of the pandemic. The mask coverage needed to eliminate COVID-19 decreases if the mask-use is combined with strict social-distancing.