Social Simulation for a Crisis: Results and Lessons from Simulating the COVID-19 Crisis

Simulating for a crisis is far more than creating a simulation of a crisis situation. In order for a simulation to be useful during a crisis, it should be created within the space of a few days to allow decision makers to use it as quickly as possible. Furthermore, during a crisis the aim is not to optimize just one factor, but to balance various, interdependent aspects of life. In the COVID—19 crisis, decisions had to be made concerning e.g. whether to close schools and restaurants, and th...