“The limited amount of publicly available real-time data on the impact of COVID-19 has raised questions on the federal government’s handling of critical information at a time when the public and other institutions depend on it to stop the virus’ spread.”
“Experts say up-to-date information on areas such as testing, infection rates, details on deaths and hospital capacity is critical to understanding the impact of the virus and responding to it. On April 9 the Centers for Decease Control and Prevention opened public access to new tools it is using to track some of these data points, but its reporting is weeks old and often differs from academic and private efforts to surveil the disease.”
“The lack of transparency for months after the disease first came to the U.S. has clouded views on how the government is collecting data from hospitals and state and local governments…”
“…But so far only limited data is available through easy-to-access public avenues, such as the CDC’s daily U.S. at a Glance tool and other data summaries. Data experts and public health officials have said sharing more than just the number of positive cases and deaths is important to provide a clear, holistic picture of the situation.”
“Some states have filled the void with regular social media updates with a range of data points and information about how data is being used. Many activists and some lawmakers have urged states and the federal government to collect data with racial breakdowns.”
“Beyond the U.S. at a Glance portal, the CDC started releasing death statistics in April through the National Vital Statistics Program, which tracks mortality data in the National Health Statistics Center. However, the statistics lag weeks behind other counts. On April 14, the NHSC reported 6,930 deaths from COVID-19, while other tracking systems put the number over 23,000. This is because of a delay in the death certificate certification process, according to the website…”
“The CDC operates vast data networks, from flu trackers to mortality statistics platforms, with some of its tools being converted for coronavirus-tracking. While it is not the only health agency that works with data, it is an agency without a top data expert. The CDC only recently posted a job opening for a chief data officer, a position that Colleen Thorndike, director of data solutions at Valid, says is critical in a time like this.” Read the full article here.
Source: Real-time government data on pandemic remains scant as crisis continues – By Jackson Barnett, April 14, 2020. FedScoop.
