Modeling the combined effect of media awareness programs and hospital beds on the control of infectious diseases

This study presents a nonlinear mathematical model that integrates two crucial nonpharmaceutical interventions: media-driven awareness programs and the availability of hospital beds to halt the spread of infectious diseases. By incorporating the dynamic influence of media awareness programs and the finite capacity of hospital beds, the model captures the complex interplay between public behavior and healthcare resource limitations during an infectious disease outbreak. A comprehensive analytical investigation is conducted, which includes equilibrium analysis, computation of the basic reproduction number, detailed stability and bifurcation analysis. The presented model exhibits a range of rich dynamical behaviors, such as forward and backward transcritical, saddle-node, Hopf, and Bogdanov-Takens bifurcations. Numerical simulations validate the theoretical findings and reveal that the synergistic impact of media awareness programs and healthcare resources (in terms of hospital beds) are crucial for the effective disease control. This work offers strategic insights for policymakers aiming to design robust intervention frameworks that combine media awareness programs with healthcare resource optimization.