COVID-19 Map FAQ

Reference:

Dong E, Du H, Gardner L. An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. Lancet Infect Dis; published online Feb 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30120-1.

Who started the global dashboard?

Professor Lauren Gardner, a civil and systems engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University, built the dashboard with her graduate student, Ensheng Dong. It is maintained at the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering, with technical support from ESRI and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Gardner is co-director of the CSSE. Learn more about Gardner and her work.

When and why was this global map started?

The map was first shared publicly on Jan. 22. It was developed to provide researchers, public health authorities, and the general public with a user-friendly tool to track the outbreak as it unfolds. All data collected and displayed are made freely available through a GitHub repository, along with the feature layers of the dashboard, which are now included in the ESRI Living Atlas. For a detailed explanation for the dashboard’s development, please refer to this article in The Lancet by Professor Lauren Gardner.

Is there an embed code for the global dashboard?

Yes, but please provide credit by citing “Johns Hopkins University” or “Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering.” This is the embed code:

<iframe width="650" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" 
  marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" title="2019-nCoV" 
  src="//arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=14aa9e5660cf42b5b4b546dec6ceec7c&extent=77.3846,11.535,163.5174,52.8632&zoom=true&previewImage=false&scale=true&disable_scroll=true&theme=light"
></iframe>

Why is a point on the global map located on my city or neighborhood?

All points (except for Australia and Italy) shown on the map are based on geographic centroids, and are not representative of a specific address, building or any location at a spatial scale finer than a province/state. Australian and Italian dots are located at the centroid of the largest city in each state. Point level: Admin2 Level (County) - US only; Admin1 Level (Province/State); Admin0 Level (Countries/Regions/Sovereignties).

Where can I find total cases and deaths for my state?

Cumulative state case totals are available through the vertical tab to the left of the map titled Admin1. U.S. state death and recovery data is available in the far right list. State-specific case and death data can also be found here.

Why does the “Total Recovered” column show “no data?”

The “Total Recovered” column will indicate “no data” when researchers determine there is no reliable source to provide such information in a real-time manner.

Can the global dashboard’s data be used by my business or government agency?

Please refer to the dashboard Terms of Use (stated in the textbox), and copied below: 1. This website and its contents herein, including all data, mapping, and analysis are copyright 2020 Johns Hopkins University, all rights reserved. When linking to the website, attribute the Website as the "COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University"
2. This data set underlying the map, provided on the CSSE GitHub (url: https://github.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19), is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International by the Johns Hopkins University on behalf of its Center for Systems Science in Engineering. Copyright Johns Hopkins University 2020. Attribute the data to the "COVID-19 Data Repository by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University" or "JHU CSSE COVID-19 Data" for short, and the url: https://github.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19.
3. For publications that use the data, please cite the following publication: "Dong E, Du H, Gardner L. An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. Lancet Inf Dis. 20(5):533-534. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30120-1"

How often is the global dashboard information updated?

The map is updated on an hourly basis throughout the day. The time of the latest update is noted on the bottom of the dashboard. The GitHub database updates daily between 04:45 and 05:15 GMT. Occasional maintenance can result in slower updates.

What are the sources of data informing the global dashboard?

The comprehensive list of data sources is maintained and provided on the Github Readme.

Where is the location for the U.S. passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship?

All COVID-19 cases in repatriated U.S. citizens from the Diamond Princess are grouped together.

Does the global dashboard have data on age, gender, nationality, and other demographic information?

No. Please refer to the JHU Coronavirus Resource Center for supplementary data on demographics, policy, testing, socio-economic and other data for the U.S.

How did the global dashboard team decide on the names of nations?

Initially the map followed the naming scheme used by the World Health Organization. It then switched to names of nations designated by the U.S. State Department.

Is the global map copyrighted?

Yes: the website and its contents, including all data, mapping, and analysis, copyright 2020 Johns Hopkins University, all rights reserved.

Why does data on the global dashboard differ from data on other websites?

The global dashboard relies upon publicly available data from multiple sources that do not always agree. Discrepancies may result for various issues such as the frequency of updating compared with other sources, as well as the inclusion of probable cases and deaths across sources.

Does the global dashboard provide medical guidance?

Reliance on the website for medical guidance or use of the website in commerce is strictly prohibited. The Johns Hopkins University hereby disclaims any and all representations and warranties with respect to the website, including accuracy, fitness for use, and merchantability.

Has the global dashboard contained any malware?

No. Johns Hopkins University has learned about the existence of malware designed to look like the university’s coronavirus tracking map in an effort to steal information from users who visit the fake site. The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 map on the university’s website does not contain malware and is safe to navigate. The malicious application requires users to download software or launch the fake map, which opens the malware. The Johns Hopkins dashboard is hosted by Esri as part of its ArcGis Online offering. According to Esri, “a malicious person created a Windows-based application containing malware whose display is practically identical to the Hopkins dashboard.” If you receive an email containing a link to download such an item or come across the code for the malicious app please report it immediately to the Esri incident response team through ArcGIS Trust Center security concern page.