Medical Xpress February 3, 2022
Using cellphone mobility data and COVID-19 hospital admissions data, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have reliably forecast regional hospital demands for almost two years, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The forecasting system, which municipal authorities credit with helping Austin maintain the lowest COVID-19 death rate among all large Texas cities, has been built out for use by 22 municipal areas in Texas and can be used by any city to guide COVID-19 responses as the virus continues to spread.
The scientific team—collaborating with Austin city elected leaders, public health officials and health care system executives—developed a powerful forecasting model and two public-facing dashboards that allowed city leaders...