Last November the Covid-19 Event Risk Assessment Planning Tool made headlines as people around the United States planned their holiday travel amidst rising Covid-19 cases and uncertainty. Now, the tool is in the news again.
So far, the tool has been featured in national news outlets such as National Geographic, The Hill, and Fast Company, as well as in a number of regional news outlets, including:
- CBS-17 in Raleigh, NC
- The Courier Journal in Louisville, KY
- The Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, WA
- The Akron Beacon Journal in Akron, OH
- The Des Moines Register in Des Moines, IA
- The Springfield News-Leader in Springfield, MO
- The Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, NJ
- Mass Live in Springfield, MA
Follow the tool at @covid19riskUSA to stay up to date on additional media features, risk updates, and news.
More about the tool
Since its inception in July of 2020, over 8 million people have used the Covid-19 Event Risk Assessment Planning Tool to gauge Covid-19 exposure risk. Created by members of the Weitz Group, (Prof. Weitz, Dr. Stephen Beckett, and Quan Nguyen) in collaboration with the Applied Bioinformatics Laboratory and Clio Andris, a professor of city and regional planning and interactive computing at Georgia Tech, this tool uses real-time Covid-19 case data to calculate the county-level risk of exposure to Covid-19 at events of different sizes. For example, the tool can estimate how likely it is that at least one person has Covid-19 at a 15-person Thanksgiving celebration.
As the tool has grown its development has continued. A new collaboration with cognitive neuroscientists at Duke University has led to the addition of interactive elements to the site. Users can now see examples of events of different sizes, such as noting that a 50-person event is similar to what one would encounter at a restaurant or a grocery store. People are also encouraged to test their knowledge of the risk levels in their area with a risk quiz.
To learn more about the science behind the tool, read our paper in Nature Human Behavior. Visit our Covid-19 Research page to learn more about our other research on Covid-19.
I’m worried about the risk in my area – what can I do?
If the risk levels in your area have you worried about seeing family over the holiday season, there are things you can do to reduce the chance of spreading Covid-19.
Get vaccinated. If you or your loved ones haven’t already, getting the Covid-19 vaccine will vastly reduce your chance of infection, the severity of breakthrough infections, and the risk of spreading infection.
Improve ventilation. Hosting celebrations outdoors when possible dramatically decreases the chance of spread. If that is not feasible, increasing ventilation in indoor areas by opening windows or using air purifiers can help.
Reduce the size of your gathering. With fewer people, the chances that at least one person has Covid-19 are reduced.
Keep your distance. Social distancing when possible is a great preventative step.
Wear a mask. Wearing a mask when possible will reduce the risk of spread.