In late-April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a new research center that intends to forecast future diseases such as COVID-19, and then pass along to the data to local, state, and government authorities, in the hopes of preventing them.
This branch of the CDC, referred to as the "Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics," first began in 2021, working to analyze information regarding the coronavirus's (Omicron variant) significance in the United States. The CDC agency said in a press statement that its official new branch is "the equivalent of the National Weather Service for infectious diseases."
The Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics will be quite a distinction from other branches of the CDC. Since the CDC has never had a forecasting program for infectious diseases, this new program will likely be invaluable in comparison to past data. This is because the United States has depended considerably on data from other countries in order to understand risks as well as preventative measures that should be taken in the past.
According to The Washington Post, researchers at the new center are already coming up with data that enables people to come to a stronger understanding of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus. But it is questionable from a variety of sources as to how reliable the data that the center collects has been.
"I do worry that we don't have enough resources invested in ensuring the necessary level of community testing, surveillance and access to other data sources to get the most out of this new high-quality modeling center," Jeffrey Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King County in Washington state, told The Washington Post.
According to the CDC, the CFA will be split into three main pillars: predict, inform, and innovate. Their ultimate goal is to create outbreak analytics with professionals among several areas in order to establish stronger evidence and make solid decisions in the process of coming to understand the overall nature of diseases.
"The capabilities and team we are building at the new Center will improve decision-making in a health crisis," said Dylan George, PhD, Director for Operations at CFA, in a press call, NBC reports. "I am proud of the CFA team and excited for the future. Better data and analytics will give us better responses to protect all Americans."