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Pandemic Data Initiative

Building modern data management systems for local, state, federal, and global public health agencies is critical to preparing the nation and the world for the next major public health crisis. The Pandemic Data Initiative explores the lessons learned throughout the pandemic for how best to support government efforts to collect and deliver comprehensive real-time information to the public, policy makers, and the media.

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Pandemic Data Outlook

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Expert Insight

Q&A: COVID-19 Fiscal Stimulus Policies Can Benefit Climate and Economies

Without data on the environmental and economic impacts of recovery policies during crises, policymakers work blindly or at the guidance of special interests. Pandemic stimulus spending data could point the way to creative policy decisions that benefit the climate, the economy, and public health.

Pandemic Data Outlook

Detailed Demographic Data Highlights Health Disparities

The Coronavirus Resource Center has launched a Disparity Explorer to highlight where and how COVID-19 led to harsher outcomes for different demographic groups. These data show a disproportionate burden on many minority communities, including Latinx people. Disparity data should spur policymakers and medical professionals to take informed, targeted action.

Pandemic Data Outlook

Private Institutions Pioneer COVID-19 Data Sharing

From the start of the pandemic, Johns Hopkins University and some media organizations recognized that the national public health infrastructure was not well equipped to track COVID-19 data in near real time. These data pioneers rose up to provide the public and policymakers with high-quality, trustworthy information to help keep people safe and inform critical decisions.

Expert Insight

Q&A: Addressing Latino Health Disparities with Pandemic Data

Pandemic data about Latinos has been severely limited due to inaccurate categorizations of race and ethnicity as well as outreach hobbled by language and other research barriers. But small changes to data collection methods could have a big impact on recognizing and addressing long-standing health disparities in the Latino community.

Pandemic Data Outlook

States and CDC Improve Breakthrough and Booster Data Reporting

Since authorization of COVID-19 vaccines, data on breakthrough cases and booster doses have been essential to tracking vaccine efficacy and coverage levels, and identifying unvaccinated or undervaccinated populations. The CDC now reports cases and deaths by vaccination status and states are consistently reporting booster doses.

Expert Insight

Q&A: Fighting Misinformation while Acquiring Accurate Information

The COVID-19 pandemic has required medical researchers to reinvent the structure of research to enable rapid data collection amid a near constant stream of updated information. Medical staff also had to combat anecdotal evidence and misinformation that arose from the lack of reliable data, which they themselves were working to rectify.

Pandemic Data Outlook

Preserving the Life Cycle of Pandemic Data

The importance of public health data will not end after this pandemic, even when state dashboards shut down and COVID-19 no longer dominates headlines. We need to start preparing to preserve these data long-term, ensuring public access and utility.

Expert Insight

Q&A: Lessons in Pandemic Data from Institutional Research

Johns Hopkins has supported COVID-19 research since the beginning of the pandemic, but researchers may still experience challenges to data collection and collaboration. Dr. Shruti Mehta has served as a principal investigator on multiple COVID-19 research projects and shares how these experiences can inform future pandemic data collaborations to improve the process for researchers, participants, policymakers, and the public.

Pandemic Data Outlook

Open Source Software Is Expanding the Path to Public Data

Open source software licenses allow for data analysis to be shared, reviewed, and analyzed in a quick, consistent, and clear manner. This can allow researchers to circumvent complicated data use agreements and push the public health research community towards more data sharing and collaboration in a post-pandemic world.

Expert Insight

Q&A: Library Data Management Leads Research Out of a Digital Dark Age

The Sheridan Libraries’ crucial role in the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 global map highlights the importance that libraries play in the data missions of universities. Library data management services reduce burdens on researchers, improve public access to data, foster collaborations, and maintain the long-term integrity of datasets.

Pandemic Data Outlook

Vaccine Hesitancy Involves More Than Distrust of Science and Government

Many officials have given up on those hesitant about COVID-19 vaccinations, but new data on vaccine accessibility, community structure, and human behavior and beliefs show that such people may be less hesitant than originally thought.



QUESTIONS ABOUT DATA STANDARDS

What is the Pandemic Data Initiative?What has been the biggest challenge during the pandemic for effectively using data?What are the consequences of such a hodgepodge data management effort?How have issues of inconsistent data impacted vaccination rollouts?
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