MJA
MJA

What would happen if Santa Claus was sick? His impact on communicable disease transmission

Yuki Furuse
Med J Aust 2019; 211 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/mja2.50420
Published online: 9 December 2019

In some areas of the world it is believed that Santa Claus brings presents to children on Christmas Eve. While it is unclear whether only good boys and girls receive presents, it is reported that more than 90% of children are visited by Santa Claus at Christmas. It is possible that he could spread pathogens if infected with a communicable disease at the time of his yearly visit. In this study, we used mathematical modelling to investigate the probability and impact of influenza and measles transmission by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

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