COVID source callout: Utah

Utah was one of the first states to begin reporting antigen tests back in early August. The state is also one of only three to report an antigen testing time series, rather than simply the total number of tests conducted. However, the format in which Utah presents these data is… challenging. Rather than reporting daily antigen test counts—or […]

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How to understand COVID-19 numbers

OG readers may remember that, in my first issue, I praised a ProPublica article by Caroline Chen and Ash Ngu which explains how to navigate and interpret COVID-19 data. I was inspired by that article to write a similar piece for Stacker: “How to understand COVID-19 case counts, positivity rates, and other numbers.”

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The vaccines are coming

While many scientific experts have pushed back against President Trump’s claims that a vaccine for the novel coronavirus will be available this October, state public health agencies have been instructed to prepare for vaccine distribution starting in November or December. Considering the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s many missteps in both distributing and tracking COVID-19 tests this spring, I have a wealth of concerns about this federal agency’s ability to implement a national vaccination program.

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