"We are very accurate," said Jaideep Ray. "The detail is all in the data."
[Ads /]
WATCH LIST: 26 California counties where COVID-19 is getting worse
Ray and his colleague Cosmin Safta work for Sandia National Laboratories, one of the largest science and engineering labs in the country.
App users, for a better experience, click here to view the graph in a new window.
"It is predicting the future in some way," said Safta.
The two analysts use public data to predict the number of COVID-19 cases in the next seven to 10 days. The data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or Johns Hopkins University.
Their predictions stem from a model used to track how AIDS progressed in San Francisco back in the late '80s.
"We started that model 10 years ago, figured out how it worked and how we could simplify it," Ray said.
App users, for a better experience, click here to view the graph in a new window.
The model was also designed to track the plague and the flu, but in a mere week was repurposed to track COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area.
Their analysis not only accurate but calculated fast.
RELATED: Here's where the COVID-19 crisis is getting worse in the Bay Area, according to new data
"Our analysis would take 20-22 hours, but by the time we started doing it regularly we do it in a half an hour," Ray said.
The new model was launched in mid-March and has now expanded to predict COVID cases across the country. But, according to Safta, the Bay Area will always be a priority.
[Ads /]
App users, for a better experience, click here to view the graph in a new window.
"The forecasts right now are not really surprising, what you see in the past is the same thing happening in the future," he said.
But, that could change as county restrictions fluctuate.
"A week ago we started restricting movement again, hopefully, we'll see results of that," Safta said.
The Department of Energy is funding Sandia to forecast COVID-19 cases along with many other projects. According to federal records, their contract is valued at $29 billion.
If you have a question or comment about the coronavirus pandemic, submit yours via the form below or here.
Get the latest news, information and videos about the novel coronavirus pandemic here
RELATED STORIES & VIDEOS:
- COVID-19 Help: Comprehensive list of resources, information
- From salons to dinner parties: Experts rate the risk of 12 activities
- California reopening: Here's what's open, closed in the Bay Area
- Watch list: Counties where COVID-19 is getting worse
- When will the San Francisco Bay Area reopen? Track progress on 6 key metrics to reopening here
- Life after COVID-19: Here's what restaurants, gyms will look like
- Here's everything allowed to open in CA (and what we're still waiting on)
- What is a COVID-19 genetic, antigen and antibody test?
- What will it take to get a COVID-19 vaccine and how will it be made?
- What does COVID-19 do to your body and why does it spread so easily?
- Here's how shelter in place, stay at home orders can slow spread of COVID-19
- Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking major moments of COVID-19 pandemic in San Francisco Bay Area/
- Experts compare face shield vs. face mask effectiveness
- List: Where can I get tested for COVID-19 in the Bay Area?
- COVID-19 Diaries: Personal stories of Bay Area residents during novel coronavirus pandemic
- Coronavirus Doctor's Note: Dr. Alok Patel gives his insight into COVID-19 pandemic
- WATCH: ABC7 Listens 'From Anger To Action: A Bay Area Conversation'
- Symptoms, prevention, and how to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak in the US
[Ads /]