A new online tool from the University of Texas not only shows our progress against the Coronavirus, it actually predicts the future.
But UT researchers say information is only good as long as we don't make any drastic changes in our behavior.
They preach consistency in the virus fight, the kind of consistency we found when we first met Deborah Schaefer and her friend in late June. At that time, local governments had begun to institute mask policies.
"When you go to public places, you're gonna be required to wear a mask. I keep mine in the car," she said, demonstrating a clear understanding of the policy that has since become almost ubiquitous.
She shared concern back in June that if behaviors didn't change, COVID could get the upper hand. It did.
However, new information from a special project at the University of Texas at Austin arms us with new information in our COVID fight... even three weeks into the future. But only if we keep our guard up.
"I imagine people will use it, a number of different ways even that we're not even imagining, but we just hope it's a good indicator for you know how much transmission is happening locally," said Dr. Spencer Fox, Associate Director of the UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium.
The UT COVID-19 Modeling Consortium has come up with a model that will predict what the coronavirus will likely do, if we keep up our end of the bargain and stay with the health guidelines.
"Those things we should just be doing every day and they should just be, you know, the thing we do now," said Fox.
Schaefer says by now, everybody should understand the importance of "suiting up", especially when we're going to be around other people.
Those that don't, she says, haven't been listening.
"They must not be paying attention because it's all over the news. And so it's been broadcast, re-broadcast, make sure you wear your mask and so, I think it's pretty straightforward," she told us.
And with numbers trending down at the moment, she and the scientists at UT, hope, we keep our guard up with the help of their new online tool.
