Case Study: Johns Hopkins University achieves more accurate COVID-19 small-town modeling with Unacast

Johns Hopkins University models COVID-19 spread with 30 researchers using Unacast

Johns Hopkins University, a leading research institution, faced the challenge of modeling how COVID-19 spreads differently in small towns compared to large urban areas. To build their "Anytown, USA" online simulator, researchers needed detailed data on human movement patterns, which they lacked. They partnered with location data vendor Unacast to leverage its Observations dataset to bridge this gap and create a more accurate simulation.

Using Unacast's data, the team was able to analyze real-world mobility with high resolution, understanding how people in an average American town move around. The filtering techniques provided by Unacast increased the accuracy of their models by removing extraneous data points. The resulting Anytown platform demonstrated that communities require tailored, not one-size-fits-all, approaches to public health interventions, providing the public with greater insight into the impact of measures like mask mandates and vaccinations.

Johns Hopkins University