- School Learning Modalities (HHS): Is that… could it be… comprehensive K-12 school COVID-19 data from the federal government?! Indeed: after over a year of calling out the government’s lack of data on this crucial topic, I was delighted to see the Department of Health and Human Services add a new dashboard to its COVID-19 data hub this week. The dashboard, produced in a collaboration between the CDC and the Department of Education, provides weekly updates on the learning status of school districts: in-person, hybrid, or remote. As of November 6, the dashboard included data for about 89% of students in 62% of districts. Next up, can we get some school case data?
- When To Test (NIH): Earlier this year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported production of an online tool aimed at helping schools, businesses, and other organizations develop routine COVID-19 testing programs. The tool, called When To Test, was updated this week with a new calculator aimed at individuals. Input some COVID-19 information (such as your location, vaccination status, and daily contacts), and the tool will help you determine whether to get tested. It could be useful for planning holiday gatherings!
- COVID-19 Diagnostics Commons (ASU): Here’s another testing source, from Arizona State University. ASU researchers built a database of over 2,500 COVID-19 testing technologies that are available or going through the regulatory approval process around the world. You can search through the tests by regulatory status, diagnostic target, accuracy levels, and more.
- Directory of federal government prime contractors: All businesses that contract with the federal government have until January 4, 2022 to ensure that all of their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19. This directory, from the U.S. Small Business Association, provides a comprehensive list of those contractors. You can see business names, what they do for the government, and more. (h/t Al Tompkins’ Covering COVID-19 newsletter.)
