COVID-19 Data Dispatch

Tag: Census data

  • COVID source shout-out: Household Pulse Survey

    A lot of COVID-19 data sources have become decidedly less reliable since the beginning of 2022, through a combination of official case counts becoming poorer reflections of prevalence (thanks to less PCR testing) and fewer resources devoted to data tracking at public health departments from local agencies up to the CDC.

    But one federal source has remained fairly consistent: the Household Pulse Survey. This project, run by the Census in collaboration with a variety of other government agencies, started in spring 2020 as a way to track how the pandemic was impacting Americans’ daily lives. Every two weeks, government researchers randomly survey U.S. adults with questions ranging from their employment status to mental health. As of this summer, the Household Pulse Survey also includes data on Long COVID prevalence.

    For every question asked by the Household Pulse Survey, you can find results over time, by state, and for a variety of other demographics: race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, etc. I appreciate that this source has continued measuring the pandemic’s impact, and I think journalists (myself included!) could be referencing it a lot more.

    more source spotlights

  • Featured sources, Dec. 6

    These sources, along with all others featured in previous weeks, are included in the COVID-19 Data Dispatch resource list. Please note that I took state school data sources out of this list because my COVID-19 state school data survey provides a more comprehensive view of these data.

    • Allocating Regeneron’s treatment: On November 21, Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA. A new dataset from the HHS shows how this drug is being allocated to states and territories. For more information on the dataset, see HHS’s November 23 press release.
    • COVID-19 relief tracker: The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) has a new tracker which shows where COVID-19 relief funds from the federal government have been spent. The dashboard visualizes data from USAspending.gov, and is searchable by state, county, and ZIP code.
    • Census COVID-19 Demographic and Economic Resources: My coworker Diana Shishkina recently alerted me to a Census page which compiles and visualizes a great deal of data on how COVID-19 has impacted Americans. It includes data from weekly small business surveys, the Household Pulse Survey, and a wealth of other information.
    All featured sources

  • Featured source, Nov. 8

    This source, along with all others featured in previous weeks, is included in the COVID-19 Data Dispatch resource list.

    • Household Pulse Survey by the U.S. Census: I featured this source—a survey program run by the U.S. Census to determine how COVID-19 impacted the lives of American residents—back in August. The Census did an initial round of surveys from April through July. But the dataset was so widely used that the Census expanded it to a second round of surveys, from August through October. New data are now being released in two-week intervals.
    All featured sources

  • Featured sources, Aug. 16

    • Lost on the frontline: This week, Kaiser Health News and The Guardian released an interactive database honoring American healthcare workers who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. 167 workers are included in the database so far, and hundreds more are under investigation. Reading the names and stories of these workers is a small way to remember those we have lost.
    • The Long-Term Care COVID Tracker, by the COVID Tracking Project: Residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care facilities account for 43% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. A new dataset from the COVID Tracking Project compiles these sobering numbers from state public health departments. You can currently explore a snapshot of the data as of August 6; the full dataset will be released this coming week.
    • Household Pulse Survey by the U.S. Census: From the end of April through the end of July, the U.S. Census ran a survey program to collect data on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of American residents. The survey results include questions on education, employment, food security, health, and housing. I looked at the survey’s final release for a Stacker story; you can see a few statistics and charts from that story here:
    All featured sources