COVID-19 pandemic has made its way across the globe after it first started to spread in December 2019. The United States is greatly affected by the ongoing pandemic, with a few cases in Seattle, while New York City became the first major coronavirus hotspot. The new hotspots for the virus have emerged a few months later. Florida, South Carolina, and Arizona are included.
This Map from Harvard Will Show You All the COVID Hotspots in the US https://t.co/QC8fr8oyAJ pic.twitter.com/g8jFQKpchQ — joe_sepi (@joe_sepi) July 11, 2020
Also Read: 'Miracle' COVID-19 Cure Sellers Earned Over $100K For 30 Days Now Charged with Fraud
The New York Times reported that South Carolina and Florida were among the first to open up and are now among the states which are leading the current outbreak. On the other hand, the states that were slower to reopen have seen significant decreases in reported cases; New York's average daily cases are down 52% since it reopened in late May, while Massachusetts' average daily cases are down 83%. Currently, it is difficult to locate states that are coronavirus hotspots. This is why the Harvard Global Health Institute has partnered with other organizations to provide an updated map that will help you identify the hardest-hit parts of the U.S.
How does Harvard's COVID Map work?
One of the important lessons we acquired over the past few months of the pandemic is that what we know today about the viral virus may no longer be relevant a few weeks after.
Travel during the time of Covid-19 is problematic. For those who must, Harvard Global Health created a colored risk assessment map of the United States that summarizes real-time risk. I wish they would make a similarly detailed global map. https://t.co/0w4sDfAKm3 pic.twitter.com/Jz9zTN1rYB — William Haseltine (@WmHaseltine) July 7, 2020
"The public needs clear and consistent information about COVID risk levels in different jurisdictions for personal decision-making, and policy-makers need clear and consistent visibility that permits differentiating policy across jurisdictions," said the director of Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, Danielle Allen.
"We also collectively need to keep focused on what should be our main target: a path to near-zero case incidence," he added.
Harvard's "COVID Risk Level Map" shows the cities and states which have become coronavirus hotspots, including data of increasing daily cases. Users can hover over a county or state using the new map to see detailed information on COVID-19 cases and death counts. The number of daily cases per 100,000 people is used to calculate the risk levels. The map is regularly updated by Harvard, including providing a list of states in order to show how fast the virus is spreading.
How to use it
The map is very user friendly since it has a simple design that will allow you to navigate easily. Looking at the left side, you'll see two tabs tagged as "Worldwide" and "United States." Above the two tabs, you'll see the total number of confirmed cases; below are the states you can choose from. The middle part will be the map visual; the locations will be categorized as green, yellow, orange, or red, depending on their risk level. Located at the upper right side of the map are the tabs "States" and 'Counties." The website's right side provides you an option to view the map in "Color Blind Version." Below that tab, you can choose whether to view the website in the "Map" or "Tabular" version. Below the two tabs, you'll see the "Daily new cases per 100k people" in every state and county.
Also Read: COVID-19 Update: China Warns About An Unknown Disease Deadlier Than Coronavirus
