99% Invisible Pandemic Tracking and the Future of Data
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May 4, 2022 Delve into the challenges of pandemic data collection, highlighting the U.S.'s fragmented health system and reliance on historical methods. Explore the gaps in testing data transparency and the grassroots efforts of the COVID Tracking Project. Discover the need for improved public health data systems and the critique of bureaucratic failures during the crisis. The discussion also addresses the limitations of racial classifications in health metrics, advocating for a more inclusive approach that centers community involvement.
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Lack of COVID-19 Testing Data
- Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC stopped reporting nationwide testing numbers, creating confusion.
- Journalists Alexis Madrigal and Robinson Meyer found drastically low testing rates, highlighting the lack of data.
John Graunt and the Bills of Mortality
- In the 1600s, John Graunt analyzed London's Bills of Mortality, creating early health data.
- Despite data limitations and unclear causes of death, his work was a breakthrough in medical statistics.
Fractured Public Health System
- The U.S. public health system is fractured, with local departments having more autonomy than the CDC.
- Inconsistent funding, with budget cuts after crises, further weakens data collection efforts.
