New York, Feb 11 (IANS) Researchers have developed an interactive map of the novel coronavirus spread — which has claimed over 1000 lives in China — that allows users to see the number of cases worldwide, as well as recoveries and deaths.
Moreover, all these trends are available in real time.
A new interactive map from the University of Washington geographer Bo Zhao, give updates every few hours with data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organisation (WHO), China and other government agencies, including those in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
“Mapping is a powerful tool to tell social, cultural and political phenomena,” said Zhao.
“As a geographer, and in what people call the ‘post-truth era,’ it’s important to weigh in with data sources to show people how things are happening,” Zhao added.
The outbreak of the coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in China’s Wuhan city in December, has been declared a public health emergency by the WHO.
Chinese health authorities on Tuesday said the death toll due to the deadly coronavirus in China has increased to 1,016, with 42,638 infected cases.
According to China’s National Health Commission, 7,333 serious cases had been recorded as of Monday midnight, while 3,996 people were discharged, reports Efe news.
According to the University of Washington, Zhao recently produced an online atlas to illustrate the global refugee experience.
The coronavirus, he said, is another societal issue that people can gain perspective on by seeing it on a map.
While the Chinese government has been criticised for its response to the crisis, and concerns have arisen about its transparency, Zhao said China’s National Health Commission data is the most accurate available for the country.
“But the outbreak is not just affecting China or the city of Wuhan It is a global issue, and that’s the perspective users can gain from the map. The numbers on display are important too because there are more recoveries than deaths,” he added.
As more detailed data becomes available, the researchers plan to add county-level totals from China, and state and provincial totals from the US and Canada, respectively.
–IANS
bu/bc