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COVID-19 risk model uses hospital data to guide decisions on social distancing

3 years ago
Anonymous $qOHwDUKgAF

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200729205011.htm

The framework is described in a new paper out today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The United States' continued high rate of infection means lawmakers around the country need to continue to make decisions about reinstating and relaxing social-distancing measures. Using hospital data, the new model lets local leaders know when it is time to tap the brakes on reopening versus easing restrictions.

For example, in Austin, Texas, the modelers applied this framework to help city leaders decide when to toggle between five different COVID-19 alert levels. The city is now tracking the daily number of new hospital admissions, and it recently tightened measures when the data surpassed the prescribed threshold.