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When comparing COVID-19 cases across countries, should I look at graphs that are adjusted for country population size or just the total number of cases?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread

Q: If I want to look at graphs of COVID-19 cases and compare across countries, should I look at graphs that are adjusted for country population size (for example, number of cases per 100,000 people) or just the total number of cases? A: Hey, whatever floats your boat, we won’t judge, but there’s a good Read more…

DATA NERD ALERT

Data and Metrics Data Literacy

StatNews has produced a cool new data dashboard with county-level COVID preparedness scores. The tool synthesizes a variety of county-level factors (e.g. access to care, % population at risk for severe infections, and socioeconomic vulnerability) and incorporates epidemiological estimates from a leading modeling group (IHME at the University of Washington). EDITED UPDATE: The dashboard is Read more…

Why is everyone suddenly talking about the positivity rate? Is this positive psychology or something else?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Infection and Spread Testing and Contact Tracing

A: Definitely not positive psychology! The positivity rate is simply the fraction of people who test positive for COVID-19 out of all the people who get tested. It is important because it is a rough indicator of how much of the true extent of COVID-19 infection is being detected and diagnosed. In other words, a Read more…

Why do all the models tell us something different about what to expect from the pandemic?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy

A: It is complicated, but can be summed up well in this article by 538. TL; DR there are three primary factors: 1) Exponential growth makes models have great variation (think the estimates of 200,000 deaths vs. 2 million deaths); 2) There are many unknown factors (such as regarding the true rates of infected persons); Read more…

COVID-19 Data by Age

Data and Metrics Data Literacy

Even more reasons for collective vigilance: New data from CDC the suggests that young people make up a significant fraction of those hospitalized with COVID-19 thus far in the US: 38% of those hospitalized were between 20 and 54, with nearly half of ICU admissions under age 65. Fortunately, the youngest age group, people 19 Read more…