UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium

The University of Texas COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, led by Professor Lauren Ancel Meyers, has guided our nation in combating infectious disease including COVID-19 and the influenza virus. The Consortium has used powerful simulations and machine learning to make fundamental discoveries about how the virus spreads, provided reliable forecasts for healthcare systems around the country, and conducted time-sensitive analyses to support critical intervention decisions. The Consortium designed the staged alert system that guided COVID-19 policy in Austin for two years. The policy safeguarded Austin’s healthcare system and helped Austin to maintain the lowest COVID-19 mortality rate among all major cities in Texas, by far. The Consortium has helped K-12 schools and universities around the US with reopening strategies and testing programs. Their school risk dashboard was featured on the front page of the New York Times. To support Austin in protecting vulnerable populations, the Consortium analyzed risks to construction workers, isolation beds needed for people experiencing homelessness, and when to set up an alternative care site to handle hospital overflow. Their ZIP-code risk maps have guided Austin’s efforts to address disparities in COVID-19 burden and access to vaccines. The Consortium uses data-driven models to design effective mitigation strategies that balance health and economic goals. They have developed practical and effective strategies for: - tightening and relaxing social distancing and masking policies using COVID-19 testing to safeguard schools, prisons, long term care facilities and workplaces - prioritizing vaccines and boosters - deploying drugs like Paxlovid equitably to prevent hospitalizations and slow transmission