Learning Outcome 2.1-2.6: Exploring COVID-19 Data Graphically
Recall the initial steps to a statistical investigation:
- Devise a research question
- Produce data
- Explore the data
In this activity, we will practice the crucial step of making some initial sense of data so that it can be usefully interpreted. You will also have the chance to share this data with people outside the course who may find it helpful. One set of data that is relevant to us all is about the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of the virus that causes it has radically changed our lives. Media outlets and research institutions have tried to help us understand the data surrounding the pandemic, such as the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.
Instructions:
STEP 1: Go to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website and explore the data that is made publicly available there.
STEP 2: Move on to the CDC’s data visualization tool. Notice the various dimensions of the COVID Case Surveillance Data you can display in the top drop-down menu at the left, including race and ethnicity, age group, and sex. Take a closer look at this national data in the category of your choice, and display it in a “column chart” (histogram) view. Notice the column labels, how are they ordered? Take a screenshot of the histogram.
STEP 3: Now take a look at the latest data on the age distribution of COVID-19 cases of your state. In a search engine, enter your state name and “COVID data” to find data from a state website. How does your state’s data compare to the national distribution?
STEP 4: Use these two histograms to illustrate a short presentation. In your presentation, describe the distribution of the ages of positive cases and highlight the similarities and differences between the two datasets.
STEP 5: Make a short recording of the presentation and share it with your instructor. Your instructor will then share the recordings with the class, so that you can all discuss and share.
