By Comms, Health

(Photo credit: NEWSIS/Associated Press)

A simple density plot pointing to the healthcare system’s (in)ability to meet the human toll of the coronavirus pandemic—should the public ignore the advice of health officials—became both a stark warning and an alarming call for communal action. “Flatten the curve” became a succinct yet powerful phrase inspired by two curved peaks that alluded to the dire need to physically distance, stay home, and self-isolate to tame the rampant spread of the virus.

A line graph showing two distinct curves, one large, the other small
Credit: VOX/CDC; Layered area chart; 2020

Data visualizations like this one have emerged as the digital standouts during this global health crisis. With an easy clarity they communicate layers of meaning with few words, and have been shared thousands of times to help disseminate an urgent public health narrative that has confronted a general dismissiveness in society towards COVID-19 during the early stages of this pandemic when the virus was silently spreading across the globe. Would the message have landed as effectively without this visual aid? Likely not (see “dual coding theory”).

For the past month, nearly every newscast in major markets across North America has featured a bar chart, line graph, or choropleth map chronicling the spread of COVID-19. They communicate not just the total numbers of infected, but also the successes and failures of countries in curbing the tide of infection and the efficacy of these countries’ respective public health infrastructures.

Take for example the visualization above, which in 45 seconds tells a memorable story of the international response to the virus, namely, how some countries were able to quickly and effectively manage their infection rates while other countries could not. By the end, the United States can be seen as sluggish and clumsy in how it dealt with a silently spreading virus, which has resulted in the country leading in global infections and deaths.

Canada has so far done a much better job than its southern neighbour in preventing an explosive rise in cases, as is the grim reality in New York state, which has more cases than another other country in the world: 159,937 at the time of writing.

Data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows that on April 5, Alberta overtook British Columbia in aggregate number of confirmed cases, suggesting the BC provincial government’s repeated requests to physically distance and avoid unnecessary travel have been paying off from a public health perspective. Quebec and Ontario still lead the country with the most confirmed cases.

One of the most revealing data visualizations during this global health crisis has been a series of choropleth maps that point to the social inequities plaguing the United States, where Black communities are disproportionately bearing the brunt of the virus. The highest number of positive coronavirus cases in New York, for example, were in communities with a higher number of people of color and those who work in the service sector. The data alludes to the systemic racism, health inequity, and inequality many communities experience today.