Now, though, it’s not clear how much warning Colorado would have if another wave were building, Beth Carlton, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Colorado School of Public Health, said last week, when hospitalizations were still plateaued. Those who study the data need to figure out how to develop a clear picture so people know when they need to take more precautions and when they can relax a bit, she said. “We need to really be thinking strategically about what are the key data,” she said. “I think that this is the question that is most important to be asking right now.”