Hospital Run under Imperfect Information

This paper studies a phenomenon called a "hospital run" during the COVID-19 pandemic: mild cold and flu patients rush to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as they are unsure of their exact disease due to highly similar observable symptoms shared among colds, the flu, and COVID-19. Hospital runs can exacerbate the strain on medical resources. Through the lens of a tractable model, this paper characterizes the specific conditions that give rise to a hospital run, explores its social welfare implications, and suggests relevant welfare-improving policy interventions.