COVID Base AU Logo – Image used with permission from @COVIDBaseAU
For those who need a COVID-19 wellness story, Oz’s should do the trick.
The three people behind CovidBaseAU, one of Australia’s top-performing pandemic data websites and Twitter account, have come forward. Guardian Australia explained the pass:
It turns out that one of the most licensed Covid-19 tracking sites in Australia is run by three teenagers.
The team, which ran CovidbaseAU, became part of their own stats after receiving their first doses of the Moderna vaccine in Melbourne.
CovidBaseAU presents daily data on the pandemic in Australia, including the number of local cases, tests, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations. It has national and state figures.
Jack and Darcy are 15 and Wesley is 14. Their pinned tweet to celebrate getting their first vaccine got the game going:
BOOM! 12-15s can get the💉
Today the three of us running @covidbaseau, Jack, Wesley and Darcy received our first dose of Moderna vaccine.
I thought it would be a good time to share who we really are.
Glad we’re finally included in our data! pic.twitter.com/SeIQFXPjGW
– CovidBaseAU (@covidbaseau) September 23, 2021
There were over 1,400 responses to the tweet in the first few hours. This exchange highlighted the three go-getters:
I (Jack) have one who works at a restaurant (not at this time due to the lockdown). Darcy is doing a bit of thermal modeling. Wesley is under 15 so not that easy. But thanks!
– CovidBaseAU (@covidbaseau) September 23, 2021
There were big congratulations, like this tweet from Professor of Public Health Bill Bowtell:
Warmest congratulations and thank you very much for your great contributions to quantifying Covid. Good politics can only be done on the basis of good and honest figures provided quickly. You have made a real difference.
– Bill Bowtell AO (@billbowtell) September 24, 2021
The trio were interviewed by Casey Briggs, a “gremlin numbers” colleague, on ABC TV News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Briggs has been ABC’s regular TV data guru during the pandemic. His graphic presentations have earned him great loyalty Following on social networks.
The ABC joked that the trio were ‘unmasking’ each other, which they literally did in the video:
They explained that their home schooling classes during the lockdowns in Melbourne helped them with this project.
Data geek Ben Krauth celebrated the complexity of their work:
For those unfamiliar with the incredible coding abilities of the trio behind @covidbaseau.
Check out this amazing tweet today, from a BOT they coded!
This is one of the more advanced tweets I have seen on covid anywhere. Awesome. https://t.co/sA3aRpibl8
– Ben Krauth (@KrauthBen) September 23, 2021
There was plenty of humor:
Are you telling me that you three high school students provide clearer information than the entire Department of Health? Slim…
– SJ Williams (that downunder guy…) (@ sjwill99) September 23, 2021
They have one Patreon Account if you want to become a patron.
Jack, Darcy and Wesley were overwhelmed by the response from fellow Melburnians and supporters around the world:
My 8 year old boy saw you on the project tonight and he was blown away by what you guys are doing! Keep striving and inspiring. There is hope
– Jess (@J_Trimmy) September 24, 2021
Warm congratulations from the Netherlands 🇵🇾 You 3 really gave me a big smile. Keep up the good work you do on your website, it’s really amazing!
– Mélanie (@MelRamaekers) September 24, 2021
There has been media coverage in several languages and from afar like Ireland.
Either way, we’ll leave the last word to them:
Hi everyone. I just wanted to post this tweet. We have received a number of messages from people in the media who have contacted us. Really sorry but it’s just impossible to reach everyone. We work with people, but the number of messages we have received is very impressive.
– CovidBaseAU (@covidbaseau) September 24, 2021
