Figure 2 (IMAGE) Tohoku University Caption Example of delay effects in countermeasures in path A of Fig. 1. No measure is assumed in the 1st segment between t=0 and t=T1. As path B is a reference and independent of the delay, the ratio of the cost of path A to that of path B shows how the delay affects costs. The greater the period T1, the larger the delay in countermeasures. Medical cost is assumed to be proportional to the infected population, for simplicity. (a) Medical cost, (b) Intervention cost. Credit Tsuyoshi Hondou Usage Restrictions Reporters may use freely these materials in news coverage with appropriate credit information. License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.