Data, Data Everywhere, But Not Enough to Say: The Case of COVID and Other Infectious Diseases

Abstract

The need to better inform world leaders of emerging health risks, from climate, COVID or environmental factors is increasingly apparent. Many types of models are designed to do just this, but they all require accurate data and good data science (DS) practices to provide actionable guidance for policymakers. Covid-19 has exposed weaknesses in providing and communicating science effectively. During the pandemic's early days, hastily gathered, sometimes inconsistent datasets (including GIS-related data) resulted in diverse interpretations being broadcast. Coordination between environmental observations, health data and other data streams in advance of a crisis, and on a sustained basis is critical for influencing social behavior, research, and real-time decision making. We provide observations on how using geophysical datasets as proxies for disease vectors, along with DS best practices, and effective visualization techniques can provide coordinated messaging to impact social behaviors.