A person with mild symptoms may refuse to go to the hospital, or he/she could be tested negative for pandemic flu, or simply does not comply with quarantine orders. Nonetheless, he/she is still unwell and may decide to take absenteeism from work (for adults) or school (for children). For our simulation, adults have a 50 per cent chance of absenting themselves from work, while children will always stay away from school, until they recover.