@article {20,
	title = {How to restart? An agent-based simulation model towards the definition of strategies for COVID-19 "second phase" in public buildings},
	journal = {Building and Environment},
	year = {2020},
	note = {Preprint},
	abstract = {Restarting public buildings activities in the "second phase" of COVID-19 emergency should be supported by operational measures to avoid a second virus spreading. Buildings hosting the continuous presence of the same users and significant overcrowd conditions over space/time (e.g. large offices, universities) are critical scenarios due to the prolonged contact with infectors. Beside individual{\textquoteright}s risk-mitigation strategies performed (facial masks), stakeholders should promote additional strategies, i.e. occupants{\textquoteright} load limitation (towards "social distancing") and access control. Simulators could support the measures effectiveness evaluation. This work provides an Agent-Based Model to estimate the virus spreading in the closed built environment. The model adopts a probabilistic approach to jointly simulate occupants{\textquoteright} movement and virus transmission according to proximity-based and exposure-time-based rules proposed by international health organizations. Scenarios can be defined in terms of building occupancy, mitigation strategies and virus-related aspects. The model is calibrated on experimental data ("Diamond Princess" cruise) and then applied to a relevant case-study (a part of a university campus). Results demonstrate the model capabilities. Concerning the case-study, adopting facial masks seems to be a paramount strategy to reduce virus spreading in each initial condition, by maintaining an acceptable infected people{\textquoteright}s number. The building capacity limitation could support such measure by potentially moving from FFPk masks to surgical masks use by occupants (thus improving users{\textquoteright} comfort issues). A preliminary model to combine acceptable mask filters-occupants{\textquoteright} density combination is proposed. The model could be modified to consider other recurring scenarios in other public buildings (e.g. tourist facilities, cultural buildings).},
	keywords = {agent-based modelling, airborne disease transmission, COVID-19, infectious disease, simulation model},
	url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.12927},
	author = {Marco D{\textquoteright}Orazio and Gabriele Bernardini and Enrico Quagliarini}
}
