Agent-Based Modeling of COVID-19 Transmission in Philippine Classrooms

Onsite classes in the Philippines have been prohibited since March 2020 due to the SARS-CoV-2 which causes the COVID-19. This forced millions of learners to adapt with new modes of instruction that may not be optimal for their learning. In this study, we implemented an agent-based model in Netlogo that followed common classroom layouts to assess the effects of human interactions to virus transmission. Results show that the highest value of cumulative proportion of infected individuals inside the classroom (CPI) is achieved when the total allowable seating capacity in the classroom is increased from 25 to 50%. Also, varying transmission rates between 5 and 20% does not pose any significant effect on CPI. Furthermore, in three of the four seating arrangements, allowing in-class mobility and class rotations can pose significant increases in CPI averaging from 40 to 70%. Results also showed that factors including maximum number of students and number of initially infected individuals, significantly affect the likelihood of infection apart from the seating arrangement itself. To minimize the risk of transmission inside the classroom setup considered, it is vital to control these factors by adhering to mitigation efforts such as increased testing and symptoms checking, limiting the maximum number of students, and redefining breaks and class rotations.