Inside STAT: Scientists need to figure out which distancing measures best control Covid-19

Inside STAT: Scientists need to figure out which distancing measures best control Covid-19

In encouraging news, a new model of the Covid-19 pandemic from scientists at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington estimates that thanks to ongoing social distancing measures, the number of U.S. deaths by August will be around 60,415, a far cry from the 100,00 that the same group had previously predicted. But as health officials start thinking about slowly lifting some of the restrictions put in place — closing schools and nonessential businesses, banning international travel, and canceling other large gatherings — it's unclear which specific distancing measure has been most effective. Knowing this will help officials plan for which restrictions can be lifted, if any, but also help places with lower (thus far) transmission of the infection plan for possible surges. STAT's Sharon Begley has more here.