ABSTRACT
In this article, we briefly explored the historical origin and applications of popular SIR-based compartmental models, especially on the modelling of the on-going SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. We discussed the emergence of the early compartmental models as well as the derivation of SIR-variants from specific studies. Specifically, we discussed the advantages of the addition of specialized compartments in SIR-variants like the SEIR and SVIR model in the modelling of disease latency and effect of vaccination, as well as the application and expansion of these models using published peer-reviewed studies on the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic as instances. Lastly, we briefly went over the limitations of compartmental models and potential substitution approaches. © 2022 Author(s).