The National Institutes of Health has called COVID-19 testing “the key to getting back to normal.” Yet testing rates have dropped nationwide, even as the Delta and Omicron variants accelerated the virus’ spread.
West Virginia University researchers Brian Hendricks and Brad Price are using machine learning and geographic information systems to identify communities in West Virginia where COVID-vaccine uptake is especially low. What the technology reveals can help get testing resources to the people who need them the most: those who live where low vaccination rates make persistent, localized outbreaks likely.