Researchers find new ways to predict disease outbreaks in SC

CLEMSON, S.C. (WSPA) – The CDC awarded South Carolina $20 million over the next five years to develop a statewide network for outbreak detection, forecasting and coordinating emergency response.

"Clemson University is the prime site, and I am the principal investigator on this study," said Lior Rennert.

During the study, public health care researchers at Clemson looked at social media data to predict disease outbreaks in the state with the university's social media listening center .

"There are conversations around vaccine hesitancy, and that's an important component in this conversation because when we see things related to potential preemptive measures, it may help us to predict potential disease outbreaks based on locations where vaccination rates are lower and things like that," said Brandon Boatwright.

The university said people living in Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, and Hilton Head ask the most questions about COVID-19 symptoms and whether or not the vaccine is worthwhile.

"We recognize the value of social media data and the conversations that people are having online or talking about their personal symptoms and posting about that and the ability for us to monitor and engage with those conversations in a manner that might potentially save lives, I think is an important element of this project," said Boatwright.

Researchers said the disease modeling initiative helps identify high risk communities and where mobile health clinics may be needed the most.

"The mobile health clinics are extremely useful because they can reach populations that don't have other access to health care," Rennert continued. "Not everybody lives next to a hospital or a primary care practitioner pharmacy where they can immediately go and get a COVID-19 test or get treatment for influenza, whatever may come up."

Officials said this type of mapping helps public health care organizations with information they need to decide what works best for their area.

"It's a decision support toolkit. We are not telling anybody what to do or where to go. We are providing them with the necessary information to help them decide what to do. So if you're a health system, it may help you decide where to send your mobile health clinic," said Rennert. "If you are a member of the community, it may help you decide if you should wear a mask when I go on a flight today because cases are increasing or when you're teaching a class, whatever it may be."

Officials said they are in the first year of the study.