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Data and Metrics

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Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID

A: Different case definitions, study participants, data collection methods, and study timing across studies. TL:DR: Current estimates of the proportion of COVID-19 cases that develop long COVID range from 3-20% and have been as high as 50%! Considering how studies differ can help us understand why estimates vary so much across studies. Things to keep Read more…

With so many people using home tests (which mostly go unreported), how can we rely on COVID-19 data to understand community levels of transmission?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Testing and Contact Tracing

A: With more people using home rapid tests interpreting local COVID-19 data does become murkier, but a useful addition is wastewater surveillance! TL; DR Keeping an eye on local wastewater surveillance can help round out understanding of community transmission as it doesn’t rely on testing or reporting of test results. ✳️Home testing is great because Read more…

Do free-falling COVID cases after a truly horrible winter surge mean we have endured the last wave and are nearing the end of the pandemic?

Data and Metrics

We hope so, but not necessarily…. the recent dramatic fall in cases looks A LOT like what we saw last year at this time. Even though falling cases and herd immunity talk make it *feel* like the pandemic is ending, we should remain humble and remember that these predictions have been wrong before. The Nerdy Read more…

💔 Disheartening news: A new study shows that COVID-19 raises risk of cardiovascular disease for at least a year after infection.

Data and Metrics Long COVID

A recent large study of U.S. Veterans found that the risk of having a heart attack, stroke and a long list of other cardiovascular events was higher for those who had COVID-19 the year prior compared to those who didn’t. The risk was highest for those who had been admitted to the hospital or ICU Read more…

Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Vaccines

A: No. This metric sounds useful, but it can’t tell us anything about vaccine effectiveness. Since the roll-out of COVID vaccinations, many headlines have reported the percent of COVID hospitalizations and deaths who were vaccinated, trying to convey how well the vaccines are working. ‘Only 1% of COVID hospitalizations are vaccinated people’ sounds encouraging, doesn’t Read more…

POLITE POTTY TALK

Data and Metrics

Hopeful news from 💩 data Omicron stinks big time. But there’s hope on the horizon, popping up in the most unexpected of places – our collective poop. Tracking 💩 – aka “wastewater surveillance” – is a proven way to predict the overall burden of infection in a community. Happily, 💩 trends are ⬇️ nationwide. It Read more…