COVID-19

The proof is in the poo: New data tool offers early detection of community COVID surges

Using wastewater monitoring data, an algorithm detects spikes in COVID-19 before outbreaks happen, giving public health officials a jumpstart in keeping the coronavirus under control.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

San Jose and the reemergence of the donut city

COMMENTARY | Post-pandemic pressures are compounding stresses cities were already facing, leading to the hollowing out of some American cities.

  • By Mark Davidson, The Conversation

Pandemic spending exposes weaknesses in how governments handle data

A federal report found huge differences in how states and localities collected and shared data. Better collaboration could help prevent money going unaccounted for.

  • By Chris Teale

Want to track pandemic relief spending? Data problems make that difficult, committee says

Tracking pandemic funds required the use of multiple federal, state and local data systems, a group appointed by Congress found. Ultimately, it had to contact state and local entities directly to gain a better understanding and fill data gaps.

  • By Natalie Alms

Tech counties boomed in pandemic, new data shows

The pandemic rejuvenated the economy of tech-based areas such as California's Silicon Valley, but the unexpected spike is starting to flatten.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

Getting ahead of the next pandemic

New York City’s Pandemic Response Institute will collect data and leverage computer models to develop locally tailored health solutions to prepare for, respond to and recover from future health crises.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Federal Covid Aid is Funding a Pickleball Court Construction Boom

Pickleball is the nation's fastest growing sport and cities and towns are using money from the American Rescue Plan to build facilities for the legions of new players.

  • By Daniela Altimari

A Shift Away from Daily COVID Case Counts Has Begun

Public health officials are considering a shift from increasingly inaccurate case data to numbers they say better represent the effect of the disease on the community and the health care system: hospitalizations and deaths.

  • By Christine Vestal, Stateline

Michigan posts statewide dashboard for COVID-19 wastewater monitoring

The dashboard provides detailed, weekly analysis and interpretation of wastewater data and trends, providing public health officials early warning of COVID infection.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee

The unrealized promise in COVID apps

Digital vaccine credentials and exposure notification apps could dramatically streamline public health processes, but their effectiveness in practice so far remains limited.

  • By Susan Miller

Data science proved what Pittsburgh’s Black leaders Knew: Racial disparities compound covid risk

Covid lessons taught that health authorities must adopt software practices to ensure that race and other demographic data is entered into electronic records and then shared among counties, states, research institutions and the public.

  • By Kaiser Health News and Christine Spolar

Telehealth app helps medical staff find specialists

With the National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network app, users can set up virtual critical care wards and help medical staff find available remote experts by searching for an on-duty provider by specialty.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz
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Machine learning spots language disparities to improve COVID-19 tracing

Thanks to researchers at Stanford University, public health officials in Stata Clara County, California, can better predict individual’s language needs, helping contact tracers resolve cases faster.

  • By Susan Miller

California faces challenges tracking COVID testing, vaccination data

The state’s Department of Human Resources said 66% of the state’s employees have provided proof they are vaccinated, but only half of 59,000 unvaccinated state employees were being tested as required.

  • By Susan Miller

Some states are cloaking prison COVID data

While most corrections systems have never provided much information about the spread of the virus in their institutions, lately it has gotten worse. Even less transparency is available from city and county jails and in juvenile detention facilities.

  • By Michael Ollove

5 ways to keep vaccine ‘cold chain’ safe from hackers

Health systems can protect themselves from electromagnetic interference that fools temperature sensors into giving false readings.

  • By Gabe Cherry

CDC eyes electronic verification of staff vaccinations

CDC is looking for a way to authenticate COVID-19 vaccine data on its employees and to provide proof of recent tests for employees traveling abroad.

  • By Adam Mazmanian

NASA wants app to monitor, analyze employee vaccinations

NASA is looking for a smartphone app that would not only allow its 18,000 employees to display their vaccination status when entering a NASA facility, but also help the space agency efficiently survey, report and analyze data on the immunization status of its workforce.

  • By Susan Miller

Minnesota launches digital vaccination record

Using the Docket app, Minnesotans can access their immunization records to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

  • By Shourjya Mookerjee

States’ smartphone exposure notification apps get mixed reviews

While the apps improved the speed and reach of contact tracing, the Government Accountability Office found several challenges limiting app use and the ability of states and others to determine whether the apps were effective.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

How data, analytics and AI power public health

Advances in immunization information systems and contact tracing are a few example of progress made during the pandemic that will set the tone for years to come.

  • By John Schaeffer