Shock as it's revealed Covid-19 Twitter account that provides 'clearer info than NSW Health' is run by three schoolboys - as the teens are flooded with job offers
- Three teens revealed as masterminds behind well-regarded Covid data site
- Wesley, Darcy and Jack from Melbourne posted photo getting Moderna vaccine
- Commenters were shocked the information resource was run by schoolkids
The creators behind a highly regarded website and Twitter account providing Covid information to Australians have been revealed as three bright young schoolkids.
Jack, Wesley and Darcy from Melbourne are behind CovidBaseAU - a site praised for its accurate data and clearer presentation of case and vaccine numbers than official government sites.
The trio posting a photo to Twitter on Thursday posing with rolled up sleeves showing where they received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine which 12 to 15-year-olds can now access.
Wesley, Jack and Darcy are the masterminds behind CovidBaseAU praised for its accuracy and clear presentation of data. They got their Moderna jabs on Thursday (pictured)
'Thought this would be a good time to share who we really are. Thrilled we will finally be included in out data,' they captioned the post.
The revelation was met with a flood of praise and support for the teens - with the post getting more than 16,500 likes.
'Well done! Your generation is showing everyone how's its done - vaccines and communication of such important information,' one person wrote.
'Wow. You guys rock! Love your data work,' another said.
'You guys are just kicka**. Young people make me so damn hopeful,' a third added.
They even got quite a few job offers - not bad for three guys who have still got a few years before they pick a university.
'Forget about - 'for such a young age', your analysis, projections, visualisations and I assume automation skills are on point in any workplace.' one impressed business owner said.
'If you could legally sign a confidentiality agreement I'd hire you for our BI work immediately.'
Shipments of the Moderna vaccine will see every Australia over the age of 12 be able to receive their first jab by the end of October (pictured, a nurse administer a vaccine)
Many said the site was clearer than official government websites
Their site gathers detailed Covid data from dozens of different official channels which can be hard to find or present the figures in a confusing way.
They then output that data into a central dashboard with clear figures and graphs that provide an overview of the Covid situation and vaccine rollout in the country.
The site was started after Jack came up with the idea and meticulously collected the data in Excel spreadsheets and compiled the graphs.
Darcy, the coder, then whacked up the site in his spare time.
'All throughout 2020 Jack kept showing me all the data he had collected.' Darcy said.
'Around February 2021 I suggested that he put all the data on a website. So he asked me to make it. Next thing I knew I had about 400 charts to embed.'
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And Wesley is the 'cool dude' of the groupy, taking care of the rest.
'I basically have the role of everything else. I made the advertisements. I made some of the logos. I collected data for the timeline and ended up with the gigantic job of putting it all together,' he said.
And the boys were also flooded with job offers, not bad for not even being out of high school
'But my most important role and the role they desperately needed the most is moral support.'
'When their hopes were down, when they were about to give up, when they needed motivation I was the one who totally dragged them out of the dumps and forced them to get a grip and start working again.'
With the streets of Melbourne a battleground this week as unruly protesters clashed with riot-gear wielding police - it's clear some of the younger residents could teach their adult counterparts a thing or two.
Commenters said they were impressed the teens had used their lockdown to establish the resource
