Behavior-induced phase transitions with far from equilibrium patterning in a SIS epidemic model: Global vs non-local feedback

Here, we explore the phase transitions triggered by the implementation of social distancing in a basic spatiotemporal model of a qualitative SIS-type infectious disease. We consider human decisions made based on spatiotemporal information regarding the disease spread. This information can be either local, nonlocal with a finite range, or global in scope. We show that nonlocal and global feedbacks, while resulting in the same spatially homogeneous equilibria, lead to a dynamic behavior that is fundamentally distinct from what is observed when decisions are made based on local information. Various phenomena arise due to the nonlocal nature of the feedback: (i) Instabilization of Otherwise Stable Homogeneous Equilibria; (ii) Nucleation/Invasion Phenomena; (iii) Onset of Standard and Generalized Traveling Waves, which can incur in wave-pinning; iv) in case of Global Information Feedback, onset of locally stable Far From Equilibrium Patterns that coexist with a locally stable disease-elimination equilibrium. Thus, the nonlocal nature of the human behavior-related feedback introduces a rich array of dynamic behaviors and patterns in the system. © 2024 The Author(s)