Accelerating data modeling for evidence-based public health decision making
The University of California highlighted the EPPIcenter's work. Read the full article here.
The University of California Health-CDPH COVID Modeling Consortium is a regular forum in which nearly 150 UC faculty in epidemiology, infectious diseases, economics, statistics, computer science, ecology and data modeling work with CDPH modelers and public health experts to develop information to inform the pandemic response in California.
Outputs expected from UC investigators contributing to the consortium include:
- Short-term forecasts of COVID-19 metrics such as case rates, hospitalizations and ICU occupancy;
- Scenario models that quantify the likely impact of various potential public health decisions, vaccine distribution strategies, therapeutic use and adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions;
- Cross-cutting health equity analytics to deepen understanding of COVID-19 disparities throughout the state; and
- Economic modeling to answer questions about cost, and overall economic effects of COVID-19, such as the effect of changes to social services and benefits on hospitalizations or deaths.
Already, 147 UC researchers from all 10 UC campuses plus CDPH modelers are participating. The consortium’s cross disciplinary membership helps ensure the challenges of the pandemic are being addressed holistically.
UC researchers and CDPH leaders are meeting regularly in topical forums to address the most pressing issues, and as part of those conversations, UC modelers are sharing new and in-progress work, including the provision of short-term estimates of community COVID-19 transmission as well as forecasts for hospitalizations and deaths. UC investigators are also conducting a large-scale data analysis to help target vaccinations to the individuals at highest risk for COVID-19 and associated complications, led by UC researchers Dr. Nathan Lo and Lloyd Chapman, Ph.D. Other UC authors involved include Dr. Bibbins-Domingo, Dr. George Rutherford, Dr. Isabel Rodriguez-Barraquer, and University of California Berkeley undergraduate Poojan Shukla.