UArizona Applied Math COVID-19 Working Group

Models that were developed 15 to 20 years ago for pandemic influenza planning are being used to inform policy and decisions during the current pandemic. These older models have strengths and weaknesses for the current situation but also offer an opportunity to take advantage of changes in data analytics, computing and sensing in the last decade. In this talk, I’ll describe how one of these “older” models (agent-based) was applied to decision-making at local and state health departments dealing with COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. I’ll share details of how we extended modeling capabilities  on-the-fly during the rapid response phase and our plans for additional refinements of the model. I’ll end the talk with ideas about hybrid modeling and “digital twins” for public health systems where we can leverage the tools and partnerships from smart and connected communities in order to prepare for the next pandemic or public health crisis.  Zoom:  https://arizona.zoom.us/j/183045568