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Summary
When the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic emerged in 2019, researchers rapidly recalibrated epidemiological computer models originally developed for other pandemics to serve as decision support tools for policy-makers and health care professionals planning public health responses. However, no current tools can predict the course of disease and help a doctor decide on the most appropriate treatment for an individual COVID-19 patient. “Digital twins” are software replicas of the dynamic function and failure of engineered products and processes. The medical analog, patient-specific digital twins, could integrate known human physiology and immunology with real-time patient-specific clinical data to produce predictive computer simulations of viral infection and immune response. Such medical digital twins could be a powerful addition to our arsenal of tools to fight future pandemics, combining mechanistic knowledg