Towards a Mathematical Model for the Viral Progression in the Pharynx

Abstract

In this work, a comprehensive model for the viral progression in the pharynx has been developed. This one-dimension model considers both Fickian diffusion and convective flow coupled with chemical reactions, such as virus population growth, infected and uninfected cell accumulation as well as virus clearance. The effect of a sterilizing agent such as an alcoholic solution on the viral progression in the pharynx was taken into account and a parametric analysis for the effect of kinetic rate parameters on virus propagation was made. Moreover, different conditions caused by further medical treatment, such as a decrease in virus yield per infected cell, were examined. It is shown that the infection fails to establish by decreasing the virus yield per infected cell. It is believed that this work could be used to further investigate the medical treatment of viral progression in the pharynx.