Can the keywords you use in a search help you figure out whether a rumor or claim is legit?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Yes! Being strategic about your search terms can help you more effectively identify credible, fact-checked information and avoid just bringing up a bunch of websites promoting the rumor or false claim. TL; DR: MediaWise recommends keywords include specific names or places, target the specific topic or claim, and help focus the results on credible 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…
Are screening tests and diagnostic tests the same thing?
Data Literacy Reproductive Health Uncertainty and Misinformation
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
The Short Answer: Nope! 🙅🏾♀️ The goal of a screening test is to determine the likelihood of disease in a person who currently shows no signs or symptoms, while a diagnostic test detects whether (and what type of) disease might be present in someone with symptoms. While some screening tests can be self-administered at home Read more…
What is the framing effect?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Tl;dr: The framing effect is a cognitive bias in which our choices are more influenced by how information is presented than the information itself. We can overcome the framing effect by purposefully rephrasing information to reflect both positive and negative aspects of the choice, separating the information from the razzle dazzle, and gathering as much Read more…
What is availability bias?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: Availability bias, also called availability heuristic, is a type of cognitive bias that occurs when we rely disproportionately on the most readily available information to make decisions or judgments rather than the most representative or accurate data. Reflection and review of all available data can help us mitigate this particular bias. Sometimes do you Read more…
How can I boost my child’s immunity to misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
To help your child separate fact from fiction, teach them to: be skeptical, use credible sources, think critically, and embrace learning through science. Start early, and weave these lessons into everyday life. Back when we were young, we Nerdy Girls used encyclopedias, reference books, and textbooks to learn. These days, we are surrounded by a Read more…
Are we over-counting Covid deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. Sadly, we are most likely still UNDER-counting Covid-19 deaths. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, which recently resurfaced in a Washington Post editorial. We’ve all heard stories of COVID positive motorcycle accident victims being counted or the saying that people are dying *with* COVID-19 rather Read more…
How can I tell if a news source is legit or not?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Follow five steps for vetting news sources from The News Literacy Project! TL:DR; Five steps include-web search the source, look for reporting standards, check for transparency, see how errors are handled, read a few news stories from that source. It can feel tricky to determine whether something you read online is from a legitimate Read more…
Life Expectancy Update 2021
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
A: Yes! Being strategic about your search terms can help you more effectively identify credible, fact-checked information and avoid just bringing up a bunch of websites promoting the rumor or false claim. TL; DR: MediaWise recommends keywords include specific names or places, target the specific topic or claim, and help focus the results on credible 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…
Are screening tests and diagnostic tests the same thing?
Data Literacy Reproductive Health Uncertainty and Misinformation
MacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
The Short Answer: Nope! 🙅🏾♀️ The goal of a screening test is to determine the likelihood of disease in a person who currently shows no signs or symptoms, while a diagnostic test detects whether (and what type of) disease might be present in someone with symptoms. While some screening tests can be self-administered at home Read more…
What is the framing effect?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Tl;dr: The framing effect is a cognitive bias in which our choices are more influenced by how information is presented than the information itself. We can overcome the framing effect by purposefully rephrasing information to reflect both positive and negative aspects of the choice, separating the information from the razzle dazzle, and gathering as much Read more…
What is availability bias?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: Availability bias, also called availability heuristic, is a type of cognitive bias that occurs when we rely disproportionately on the most readily available information to make decisions or judgments rather than the most representative or accurate data. Reflection and review of all available data can help us mitigate this particular bias. Sometimes do you Read more…
How can I boost my child’s immunity to misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
To help your child separate fact from fiction, teach them to: be skeptical, use credible sources, think critically, and embrace learning through science. Start early, and weave these lessons into everyday life. Back when we were young, we Nerdy Girls used encyclopedias, reference books, and textbooks to learn. These days, we are surrounded by a Read more…
Are we over-counting Covid deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. Sadly, we are most likely still UNDER-counting Covid-19 deaths. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, which recently resurfaced in a Washington Post editorial. We’ve all heard stories of COVID positive motorcycle accident victims being counted or the saying that people are dying *with* COVID-19 rather Read more…
How can I tell if a news source is legit or not?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Follow five steps for vetting news sources from The News Literacy Project! TL:DR; Five steps include-web search the source, look for reporting standards, check for transparency, see how errors are handled, read a few news stories from that source. It can feel tricky to determine whether something you read online is from a legitimate Read more…
Life Expectancy Update 2021
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents 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…
Are screening tests and diagnostic tests the same thing?
Data Literacy Reproductive Health Uncertainty and MisinformationMacKenzie (Kenzie) Isaac, MA
The Short Answer: Nope! 🙅🏾♀️ The goal of a screening test is to determine the likelihood of disease in a person who currently shows no signs or symptoms, while a diagnostic test detects whether (and what type of) disease might be present in someone with symptoms. While some screening tests can be self-administered at home Read more…
What is the framing effect?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Tl;dr: The framing effect is a cognitive bias in which our choices are more influenced by how information is presented than the information itself. We can overcome the framing effect by purposefully rephrasing information to reflect both positive and negative aspects of the choice, separating the information from the razzle dazzle, and gathering as much Read more…
What is availability bias?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: Availability bias, also called availability heuristic, is a type of cognitive bias that occurs when we rely disproportionately on the most readily available information to make decisions or judgments rather than the most representative or accurate data. Reflection and review of all available data can help us mitigate this particular bias. Sometimes do you Read more…
How can I boost my child’s immunity to misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
To help your child separate fact from fiction, teach them to: be skeptical, use credible sources, think critically, and embrace learning through science. Start early, and weave these lessons into everyday life. Back when we were young, we Nerdy Girls used encyclopedias, reference books, and textbooks to learn. These days, we are surrounded by a Read more…
Are we over-counting Covid deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. Sadly, we are most likely still UNDER-counting Covid-19 deaths. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, which recently resurfaced in a Washington Post editorial. We’ve all heard stories of COVID positive motorcycle accident victims being counted or the saying that people are dying *with* COVID-19 rather Read more…
How can I tell if a news source is legit or not?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Follow five steps for vetting news sources from The News Literacy Project! TL:DR; Five steps include-web search the source, look for reporting standards, check for transparency, see how errors are handled, read a few news stories from that source. It can feel tricky to determine whether something you read online is from a legitimate Read more…
Life Expectancy Update 2021
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
The Short Answer: Nope! 🙅🏾♀️ The goal of a screening test is to determine the likelihood of disease in a person who currently shows no signs or symptoms, while a diagnostic test detects whether (and what type of) disease might be present in someone with symptoms. While some screening tests can be self-administered at home Read more…
What is the framing effect?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and MisinformationTl;dr: The framing effect is a cognitive bias in which our choices are more influenced by how information is presented than the information itself. We can overcome the framing effect by purposefully rephrasing information to reflect both positive and negative aspects of the choice, separating the information from the razzle dazzle, and gathering as much Read more…
What is availability bias?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and MisinformationSarah Whitley Coles, MD
Tl;dr: Availability bias, also called availability heuristic, is a type of cognitive bias that occurs when we rely disproportionately on the most readily available information to make decisions or judgments rather than the most representative or accurate data. Reflection and review of all available data can help us mitigate this particular bias. Sometimes do you Read more…
How can I boost my child’s immunity to misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
To help your child separate fact from fiction, teach them to: be skeptical, use credible sources, think critically, and embrace learning through science. Start early, and weave these lessons into everyday life. Back when we were young, we Nerdy Girls used encyclopedias, reference books, and textbooks to learn. These days, we are surrounded by a Read more…
Are we over-counting Covid deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. Sadly, we are most likely still UNDER-counting Covid-19 deaths. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, which recently resurfaced in a Washington Post editorial. We’ve all heard stories of COVID positive motorcycle accident victims being counted or the saying that people are dying *with* COVID-19 rather Read more…
How can I tell if a news source is legit or not?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Follow five steps for vetting news sources from The News Literacy Project! TL:DR; Five steps include-web search the source, look for reporting standards, check for transparency, see how errors are handled, read a few news stories from that source. It can feel tricky to determine whether something you read online is from a legitimate Read more…
Life Expectancy Update 2021
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
Tl;dr: Availability bias, also called availability heuristic, is a type of cognitive bias that occurs when we rely disproportionately on the most readily available information to make decisions or judgments rather than the most representative or accurate data. Reflection and review of all available data can help us mitigate this particular bias. Sometimes do you Read more…
How can I boost my child’s immunity to misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
To help your child separate fact from fiction, teach them to: be skeptical, use credible sources, think critically, and embrace learning through science. Start early, and weave these lessons into everyday life. Back when we were young, we Nerdy Girls used encyclopedias, reference books, and textbooks to learn. These days, we are surrounded by a Read more…
Are we over-counting Covid deaths?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
No. Sadly, we are most likely still UNDER-counting Covid-19 deaths. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, which recently resurfaced in a Washington Post editorial. We’ve all heard stories of COVID positive motorcycle accident victims being counted or the saying that people are dying *with* COVID-19 rather Read more…
How can I tell if a news source is legit or not?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Follow five steps for vetting news sources from The News Literacy Project! TL:DR; Five steps include-web search the source, look for reporting standards, check for transparency, see how errors are handled, read a few news stories from that source. It can feel tricky to determine whether something you read online is from a legitimate Read more…
Life Expectancy Update 2021
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
No. Sadly, we are most likely still UNDER-counting Covid-19 deaths. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, which recently resurfaced in a Washington Post editorial. We’ve all heard stories of COVID positive motorcycle accident victims being counted or the saying that people are dying *with* COVID-19 rather Read more…
How can I tell if a news source is legit or not?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and MisinformationAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Follow five steps for vetting news sources from The News Literacy Project! TL:DR; Five steps include-web search the source, look for reporting standards, check for transparency, see how errors are handled, read a few news stories from that source. It can feel tricky to determine whether something you read online is from a legitimate Read more…
Life Expectancy Update 2021
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
A: Follow five steps for vetting news sources from The News Literacy Project! TL:DR; Five steps include-web search the source, look for reporting standards, check for transparency, see how errors are handled, read a few news stories from that source. It can feel tricky to determine whether something you read online is from a legitimate Read more…
Life Expectancy Update 2021
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
In many countries, life expectancy dropped substantially in 2020 due to COVID. Did life expectancy bounce back in 2021, or did things get even worse? TL;DR: A mixed bag, w/ greater divergence of experiences as the pandemic wore on. While Western Europe saw improvements from 2020, the US and Eastern Europe saw continued losses. Read Read more…
I heard that US life expectancy fell again. Does this mean *my* lifespan will be shorter?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
A: Not necessarily. Despite the name, life expectancy doesn’t predict the lifespan of individuals. But as a “snapshot” of mortality in the US, the news is not good. Recent U.S. CDC estimates show a loss of a 2.7 years of life expectancy in 2021 compared to 2019. Surprisingly, despite the vaccine roll-out, U.S. life expectancy Read more…
What is confirmation bias? What is motivated reasoning? How do they impact the spread of misinformation?
Data Literacy Uncertainty and MisinformationAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
A: Confirmation bias happens when we accept information that confirms our pre-existing ideas or beliefs, but ignore or question information that does not. Motivated reasoning happens when we only seek out information that confirms what we already think is true. Both ways of distorted thinking can lead us to share information without critically assessing it Read more…
Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVIDAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Sarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
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…
Evaluating Medical Literature: Patient Oriented Evidence vs. Disease Oriented Evidence
Data and Metrics Data LiteracySarah Whitley Coles, MD
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
Results of medical studies are often reported in the news. You may have seen headlines like “What vegetable on your dinner plate is killing you?” or “New study shows Medicine X causes memory loss!” You are, very likely and very appropriately, highly skeptical of these headlines but it can be really tricky to sort out Read more…
Series on Logical Fallacies – “Who funds you?”
Data Literacy Uncertainty and MisinformationKristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
At Dear Pandemic, we want to dish out science facts AND equip our readers with tools to make sense of data and science themselves. This is post is part of an ongoing series by Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things, in which she dissects common logical fallacies that have led people astray during Read more…
What is sensitivity and specificity, and why should I care?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracySarah 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…
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
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
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…
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 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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
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…
Q: If 50% of COVID hospitalizations are among the vaccinated, does that mean the vaccines aren’t working?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy 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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
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…
Is COVID-19 99% survivable?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyJennifer 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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents 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…
Are we over-stating COVID-19 mortality?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data Literacy
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
A: No. It’s bad. ➡️ The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the largest loss of life expectancy seen in many countries since World War II. ⬇️ U.S. males saw some of the worst losses—2.2 years of lost life expectancy in 2020. The drop was 1.65 years for U.S. females. We’ve talked about “excess mortality” in Read more…
What is the real COVID-19 death toll? Are we over-counting deaths?
Data and Metrics Data LiteracyJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
A: Sadly, we are most likely UNDER-COUNTING Covid-19 deaths. While the official global death toll from Covid-19 is now 4.6 million, the actual toll is estimated to be close to 15.4 MILLION people. Among the most persistent COVID-19 myths is the idea that COVID-19 deaths are being over-counted, including stories of victims of motorcycle accidents Read more…
