Is artificial intelligence really accessible to everyone?
Data and Metrics Social and Racial Justice
Clara Ke, BSN, RN
Artificial intelligence is making inequality worse nationally and globally, but diverse high-quality data, better access, inclusive practices, and strong regulation can help make algorithms better. It seems like artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days and that everyone you know is using it one way or another. Yet if we look closer, not everyone has Read more…
Has there been a recent increase in the number of people who identify as transgender?
Data and Metrics Reproductive Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The overall number of people who identify as transgender in the U.S. is estimated to have increased over the past ~10+ years, particularly among those aged 13-24 years. TL;DR: There has been an increase in the total number of people estimated to identify as transgender in the U.S. overall, especially among teens and young adults. Read more…
Who Counts? Data Collection & the Communities Left Out
Data and Metrics
Claire Wilkinson, MPH
Who gets counted in data shapes whose needs are seen, funded, and addressed. When you see data driving big decisions, check who is included and who is missing. Otherwise, entire communities can be overlooked. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): When people are counted accurately, their needs become visible. This visibility is the first step toward Read more…
Don’t get fooled by apples and oranges.
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Camille Seaberry, MPS
When you see headlines about changes in something scary like crime or disease, make sure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison. Otherwise, you might get fooled by faulty statistics. Let’s say you’re new to birdwatching. You want to know whether birds of a certain color—gray, for example—are most common near your house. You grab your notebook and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence is an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In this post on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of violence Read more…
What can we learn from CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics General Health
Those Nerdy Girls
📊 Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. Clear, local, up-to-date data is a foundation Read more…
What can we learn from the CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics
Ilana Gerjuoy, MPH
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Artificial intelligence is making inequality worse nationally and globally, but diverse high-quality data, better access, inclusive practices, and strong regulation can help make algorithms better. It seems like artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days and that everyone you know is using it one way or another. Yet if we look closer, not everyone has Read more…
Has there been a recent increase in the number of people who identify as transgender?
Data and Metrics Reproductive HealthThose Nerdy Girls
The overall number of people who identify as transgender in the U.S. is estimated to have increased over the past ~10+ years, particularly among those aged 13-24 years. TL;DR: There has been an increase in the total number of people estimated to identify as transgender in the U.S. overall, especially among teens and young adults. Read more…
Who Counts? Data Collection & the Communities Left Out
Data and Metrics
Claire Wilkinson, MPH
Who gets counted in data shapes whose needs are seen, funded, and addressed. When you see data driving big decisions, check who is included and who is missing. Otherwise, entire communities can be overlooked. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): When people are counted accurately, their needs become visible. This visibility is the first step toward Read more…
Don’t get fooled by apples and oranges.
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Camille Seaberry, MPS
When you see headlines about changes in something scary like crime or disease, make sure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison. Otherwise, you might get fooled by faulty statistics. Let’s say you’re new to birdwatching. You want to know whether birds of a certain color—gray, for example—are most common near your house. You grab your notebook and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence is an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In this post on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of violence Read more…
What can we learn from CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics General Health
Those Nerdy Girls
📊 Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. Clear, local, up-to-date data is a foundation Read more…
What can we learn from the CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics
Ilana Gerjuoy, MPH
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
The overall number of people who identify as transgender in the U.S. is estimated to have increased over the past ~10+ years, particularly among those aged 13-24 years. TL;DR: There has been an increase in the total number of people estimated to identify as transgender in the U.S. overall, especially among teens and young adults. Read more…
Who Counts? Data Collection & the Communities Left Out
Data and MetricsClaire Wilkinson, MPH
Who gets counted in data shapes whose needs are seen, funded, and addressed. When you see data driving big decisions, check who is included and who is missing. Otherwise, entire communities can be overlooked. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): When people are counted accurately, their needs become visible. This visibility is the first step toward Read more…
Don’t get fooled by apples and oranges.
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Camille Seaberry, MPS
When you see headlines about changes in something scary like crime or disease, make sure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison. Otherwise, you might get fooled by faulty statistics. Let’s say you’re new to birdwatching. You want to know whether birds of a certain color—gray, for example—are most common near your house. You grab your notebook and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence is an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In this post on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of violence Read more…
What can we learn from CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics General Health
Those Nerdy Girls
📊 Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. Clear, local, up-to-date data is a foundation Read more…
What can we learn from the CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics
Ilana Gerjuoy, MPH
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Who gets counted in data shapes whose needs are seen, funded, and addressed. When you see data driving big decisions, check who is included and who is missing. Otherwise, entire communities can be overlooked. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): When people are counted accurately, their needs become visible. This visibility is the first step toward Read more…
Don’t get fooled by apples and oranges.
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyCamille Seaberry, MPS
When you see headlines about changes in something scary like crime or disease, make sure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison. Otherwise, you might get fooled by faulty statistics. Let’s say you’re new to birdwatching. You want to know whether birds of a certain color—gray, for example—are most common near your house. You grab your notebook and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence is an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In this post on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of violence Read more…
What can we learn from CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics General Health
Those Nerdy Girls
📊 Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. Clear, local, up-to-date data is a foundation Read more…
What can we learn from the CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics
Ilana Gerjuoy, MPH
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
When you see headlines about changes in something scary like crime or disease, make sure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison. Otherwise, you might get fooled by faulty statistics. Let’s say you’re new to birdwatching. You want to know whether birds of a certain color—gray, for example—are most common near your house. You grab your notebook and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health PolicyMK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence is an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In this post on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of violence Read more…
What can we learn from CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics General Health
Those Nerdy Girls
📊 Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. Clear, local, up-to-date data is a foundation Read more…
What can we learn from the CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics
Ilana Gerjuoy, MPH
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Gun violence is an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In this post on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of violence Read more…
What can we learn from CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics General HealthThose Nerdy Girls
📊 Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. Clear, local, up-to-date data is a foundation Read more…
What can we learn from the CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and Metrics
Ilana Gerjuoy, MPH
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
📊 Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. Clear, local, up-to-date data is a foundation Read more…
What can we learn from the CDC’s Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard?
Data and MetricsIlana Gerjuoy, MPH
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Want to see how overdose, suicide, homicide and firearms death trends are shifting in your community and across the U.S.? A new dashboard from the CDC makes local and national data easier to explore. Use it to learn about trends, support your work, or advocate for change. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious DiseasesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
It’s not “just a flu.” Flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, & during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the severity Read more…
Did we overcount COVID deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infectious DiseasesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
No. In the US, we likely undercounted COVID deaths. A common refrain during the pandemic was that people were dying “with” rather than “of” COVID. The implication was that our official statistics were wrong and we were overstating the true danger of the pandemic. As we wrote about way back in 2020, data nerds like Read more…
Is ‘Immunity Debt’ Behind China’s Rising Childhood Pneumonia Cases?
Data and Metrics Infectious DiseasesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
TL;DR: There is no “immunity debt” for individuals. But *populations* can experience a “catch-up” period after a period of low virus transmission, which is what seems to be happening in China right now. Recent reports of a high number of cases of childhood pneumonia in China definitely made epidemiologists a tad nervous. But so far, Read more…
How many people die of the flu anyway?
Data and Metrics Infectious DiseasesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
It’s not “just a flu.” The flu is much more dangerous than a regular cold, especially for young kids, older people, and during pregnancy. The flu can kill over 50,000 people a year in the US in a bad year. “It’s just a bad flu.” We often heard this as a way to minimize the Read more…
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracySarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health Policy
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Tl;dr: The Dunning-Kruger effect occurs when someone’s lack of knowledge or skill in a certain area causes them to overestimate their own ability. It also causes people who are the most competent to think less of their skill. Self-reflection, objective measures of performance, and getting meaningful feedback can help keep you from falling victim to Read more…
Nerdy Girls Live 05/26/23
Data and Metrics Health Policy Videos
Those Nerdy Girls present the facts, bust myths, and discuss solutions to the gun violence crisis in America. Hosted by: – Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH: Contributing Writer at TNG, co-Founder of Critica & Author of Denying to the Grave – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Hello and Read more…
What is gun violence, and who does it affect?
Data and Metrics Health PolicyMK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Gun violence has become an alarming public health crisis in the United States. Its toll goes well beyond the thousands of lives lost each year. It devastates families and communities. It threatens our sense of safety and security. In a series on gun violence as a public health issue, we explain the different types of Read more…
How can I keep track of COVID levels in my area now that cases are not being reported?
Data and MetricsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious Diseases
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Follow the feces. Wastewater data is one of our best remaining tools for COVID-19 surveillance. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in the US, the US CDC will stop reporting community levels of COVID-19 cases or positivity rates. The accuracy of these numbers has also likely declined over time as people tested Read more…
Are COVID re-infections worse than a first infection?
Data and Metrics Infectious DiseasesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact Tracing
Chana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
No, not for most people. But for vulnerable people, repeated infections can still be dangerous. And each infection carries its own risk of Long Covid. TL;DR: Repeated COVID-19 infections are neither destroying our immune systems NOR completely harmless. Like many things with COVID-19, the truth lies somewhere in between. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to Read more…
Are you truly a COVID-19 virgin?
Data and Metrics Testing and Contact TracingChana Davis, PhD
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
Maybe …or maybe not. Recent studies suggest that many people are unaware of their past COVID-19 infections. A Canadian study found that, in people with antibodies showing previous infection, roughly half of them thought they were COVID-19 virgins. This study used blood samples from roughly 15,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country from April 2022 Read more…
Are vaccinated people “dying suddenly?”
Data and Metrics VaccinesJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
A: No. The Office of National Statistics in England just released some comprehensive new data comparing deaths from ALL causes by COVID vaccination status. Across all age groups, death rates are consistently lower among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated people. You can also clearly see the spikes in mortality associated with the Delta & Omicron waves that Read more…
