Reflecting back on the past month, I think there are some lessons learned, principles I've tried to follow, and resources I've made use of that might be helpful for other non-experts looking to contribute to the pandemic response. I'll try and share some of these here🧵 1⃣Help the Experts
I've made a very conscious effort to avoid armchair epidemiology. Experts are doing a great job despite tremendous demands on their time. Building
@CovidProjection was just a way to help them add a few minutes back into their day.

Noticed yesterday that @IHME_UW’s #COVID19 projections for mean total deaths in the USA had dropped from 80k-95k in earlier models to just over 60k in their latest update. 📉 A look at state-level predictions reveals a correlated decline across many of the hardest-hit states. 🧵 Compared to earlier updates where state numbers would fluctuate, the change from 4/5 to4/7 saw consistent, across-the-board declines across many hard-hit states (NY, NJ, CT, MA, GA, FL, IL). This suggests a universal model parameter (e.g. mortality rate) may have been changed.

#COVID19 is a global crisis requiring large-scale local responses. Over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been using my spare time to build VolunteerAtlas, a centralized repository to help facilitate volunteer delivery services across Canada and around the world. 1/ volunteeratlas.com We know that #COVID19 leads to more severe complications among the elderly, immuno-compromised and those with pre-existing health conditions. Furthermore, as testing capacity increases, the number of people with moderate symptoms under self-quarantine will also rise. 2/