What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
A: Good question! Sensitivity and specificity are characteristics of a medical test that help us determine how useful that test is and how to interpret the result. BUT, they aren’t the be all and end all. We also want to know the positive and negative predictive value. Strap in for the ride and let’s talk Read more…
Has almost everyone been infected with COVID by now?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Recent estimates suggest around 58% of the population in the US and over 70% in England have been previously infected, with BIG increases during the Omicron wave. The CDC recently released an MMWR report estimating the percentage of Americans who have been previously infected with COVID-19. The estimates came from the CDC’s National Commercial 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 Testing and Contact Tracing
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Postcards from England – March 18, 2022
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Postcards from England…. here we go again?! Like many things in this pandemic, this feeling of déjà vu all over again is getting OLD. As an 🇺🇸American living in the 🇬🇧U.K., I’ve seen the pattern of cases here foreshadowing surges in the U.S. a few weeks later at least five different times now. That means 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
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? A: A mixed bag. While some countries saw improvements, life expectancy losses in the U.S. in 2021 were JUST AS BAD as 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War 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
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and Metrics
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
A: Good question! Sensitivity and specificity are characteristics of a medical test that help us determine how useful that test is and how to interpret the result. BUT, they aren’t the be all and end all. We also want to know the positive and negative predictive value. Strap in for the ride and let’s talk Read more…
Has almost everyone been infected with COVID by now?
Data and MetricsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Recent estimates suggest around 58% of the population in the US and over 70% in England have been previously infected, with BIG increases during the Omicron wave. The CDC recently released an MMWR report estimating the percentage of Americans who have been previously infected with COVID-19. The estimates came from the CDC’s National Commercial 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 Testing and Contact Tracing
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Postcards from England – March 18, 2022
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Postcards from England…. here we go again?! Like many things in this pandemic, this feeling of déjà vu all over again is getting OLD. As an 🇺🇸American living in the 🇬🇧U.K., I’ve seen the pattern of cases here foreshadowing surges in the U.S. a few weeks later at least five different times now. That means 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
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? A: A mixed bag. While some countries saw improvements, life expectancy losses in the U.S. in 2021 were JUST AS BAD as 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War 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
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and Metrics
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
A: Recent estimates suggest around 58% of the population in the US and over 70% in England have been previously infected, with BIG increases during the Omicron wave. The CDC recently released an MMWR report estimating the percentage of Americans who have been previously infected with COVID-19. The estimates came from the CDC’s National Commercial 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 Testing and Contact TracingAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Postcards from England – March 18, 2022
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Postcards from England…. here we go again?! Like many things in this pandemic, this feeling of déjà vu all over again is getting OLD. As an 🇺🇸American living in the 🇬🇧U.K., I’ve seen the pattern of cases here foreshadowing surges in the U.S. a few weeks later at least five different times now. That means 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
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? A: A mixed bag. While some countries saw improvements, life expectancy losses in the U.S. in 2021 were JUST AS BAD as 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War 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
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and Metrics
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
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…
Postcards from England – March 18, 2022
Data and MetricsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Postcards from England…. here we go again?! Like many things in this pandemic, this feeling of déjà vu all over again is getting OLD. As an 🇺🇸American living in the 🇬🇧U.K., I’ve seen the pattern of cases here foreshadowing surges in the U.S. a few weeks later at least five different times now. That means 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
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? A: A mixed bag. While some countries saw improvements, life expectancy losses in the U.S. in 2021 were JUST AS BAD as 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War 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
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and Metrics
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
Postcards from England…. here we go again?! Like many things in this pandemic, this feeling of déjà vu all over again is getting OLD. As an 🇺🇸American living in the 🇬🇧U.K., I’ve seen the pattern of cases here foreshadowing surges in the U.S. a few weeks later at least five different times now. That means 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 MetricsKristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? A: A mixed bag. While some countries saw improvements, life expectancy losses in the U.S. in 2021 were JUST AS BAD as 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War 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
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and Metrics
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
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…
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Data and MetricsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? A: A mixed bag. While some countries saw improvements, life expectancy losses in the U.S. in 2021 were JUST AS BAD as 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War 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
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and Metrics
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? A: A mixed bag. While some countries saw improvements, life expectancy losses in the U.S. in 2021 were JUST AS BAD as 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War 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 COVIDJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and Metrics
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
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…
In the US, “milder” Omicron is killing more people per day than the worst day of the Delta surge.
Data and MetricsKristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Vaccines
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
Nerdy Girl contributor Dr. Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things) explains why, and explores how the word “mild” has been a major source of confusion during the omicron wave. Read here. Link to Original FB Post
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics VaccinesKristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
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…
Are cases peaking? That means it’s all downhill from here, right?
Data and MetricsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and Metrics
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
POLITE POTTY TALK
Data and MetricsLindsey Leininger, PhD MA
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and Spread
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
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…
POSTCARDS FROM THE UK: Buckle up America (and everywhere else).
COVID Variants Data and Metrics Infection and SpreadJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
Please join our mission to fund facts and empower healthy decisions!
And by buckle up, I mean BOOST-UP. And take other sensible precautions, especially leading up to the holidays. Nerdy Girl Jenn (🇺🇸 in 🇬🇧 ) writing from not-so-sunny England, home of the strangest shaped epidemic curve ever seen (Figure 1). Delta has been raging here since June and never went away. Omicron has a significant Read more…
COVID-19 cases are way down in the U.S. We’re out of the woods, right?!
Data and MetricsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
A: We REALLY hope so. But we’ve learned that making predictions during this pandemic is… unwise. After Delta spoiled optimistic summer and back to school plans in much of the U.S, the fall has brought an unexpected dive in confirmed case numbers. The 7-day rolling average of around 84K/day on October 16th is down more Read more…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and MetricsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
A: Yes- BUT those odds are not as good as they sound. Ask yourself- would you let your family board a plane if 1 out of 100 passengers were going to be thrown out of the plane mid-flight? We continue to hear the “99% survivable” argument as a reason not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Read more…
