Researcher explains why the pandemic's next few months could be the hardest

SAN DIEGO – The pandemic's toll has been staggering. But to UC San Diego's Natasha Martin, it hasn't been surprising. Martin, who holds a doctorate in mathematical biology from Oxford University, builds models that predict how various public health measures affect the spread of infectious diseases. It's a skill set she has used to study the transmission of hepatitis C and HIV. And now she's plying those same tools to forecast the impact of COVID-19 on San Diego County. What she sees on the horizon troubles her. Last Tuesday, Martin warned the region's Board of Supervisors that, based on her mo...