Local COVID-19 trend analysis tool developed, provides significant time savings

  • Published
  • By Jill Pickett
  • AEDC/PA

As the Arnold Engineering Development Complex team worked to understand the impact of COVID-19 to Arnold Air Force Base and the geographically separated units, data analysis was, and continues to be, a daily task.

Trend analysis charts were developed, but updating the data inputs was a timely process.

“The team had developed informative charts to provide some of this data (about the COVID-19 situation for surrounding counties). However, the daily upkeep was cumbersome, taking four to six man-hours each day,” said Ann Clements, Base Network Enterprise manager at Arnold AFB.

The team had to gather county data and then they would calculate active cases manually for 134 counties surrounding the base, 43 counties where Arnold employees reside, across four states.

Master Sgt. Lashonda Morehead, flight chief of Medical Operations at Arnold AFB, said Clark Brandon, deputy director of the Test Support Division, noticed the significant amount of time the process was taking and sought assistance.

Clements developed a solution that reduced the hours-long process to one to two minutes. Her solution, using readily available software, allows for the instant and simultaneous refreshing of nine COVID-19 charts by using a central dataset. These charts show local active cases, hospitalizations, deaths and delta changes in a seven-day rolling average for four, previously five, local counties and the state of Tennessee.

“The template absolutely played a significant role in reducing the time it took to gather intel and update our trend analysis,” Morehead said. “We don’t have to track as many locations now, but the template is still used to capture trends and recommend HPCON (Health Protection Condition) levels when updating leadership during the weekly Wing Staff meeting.”

After the success of Clements’ solution for Arnold AFB, she was asked to assist the 704th Test Group develop a trend analysis tool for counties surrounding Holloman and Kirtland Air Force Bases, including coordinating a daily data push from the New Mexico Department of Health for use by the 704 TG.

“It is a privilege and an honor to be able to use my skills to contribute directly to AEDC’s COVID-19 response,” Clements said.