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 daily PCR test counts, for that matter—in a table or downloadable spreadsheet, Utah requires users to hover over an interactive chart in an extremely precise fashion. Interactive charts are useful for visualizing data, but far from ideal for accessibility.

Hot tip for anyone interacting with this chart: you can make your life easier by clicking “Compare data on hover,” toggling the chart to show all four of its daily data points at once. (Sad story: I did not learn this strategy until I’d already spent an hour carefully zooming in and around the chart to record all of Utah’s antigen test numbers.)

In related news: keep an eye out for a COVID Tracking Project blog post on antigen testing, likely to be published in the coming week.

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