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Federal COVID-19 Testing Data Is Getting Better

The federal government improved its state and county-level COVID-19 PCR testing data since we analyzed it in February. Here’s an update on those changes and what we hope to see next for the data.

By Kara W. SchechtmanApril 21, 2021

How Not to Interpret COVID-19 Data

Beware of dating schemes, data dumps, weather events and other issues that can lead to mistakes that confuse the public.

Federal COVID Data 101: What We Know About Race and Ethnicity Data

Publicly available federal race and ethnicity COVID-19 data is currently usable and improving, although it shares many of the problems we’ve found in state-reported data.

By Alice GoldfarbMarch 19, 2021

Federal COVID Data in a Single Stream

We’ve created a bit of code that helps combine federal testing, case, deaths, and hospitalization data into a single spreadsheet.

By Zach Lipton, Dave Luo, & Peter WalkerMarch 15, 2021

Federal COVID Data 101: How to Find Data

Here’s where and how you can find COVID-19 data now that The COVID Tracking Project has ended.

Federal COVID Data 101: Working with Testing Data

At least three different federal agencies share testing data for SARS-CoV-2 in at least four different places. Here’s a little about where that data comes from, what each dataset has to offer, and how you can use the datasets best in light of their large differences from state-provided data.

By Kara W. SchechtmanMarch 5, 2021

Federal COVID Data 101: Working with CMS Nursing Home Data

Here’s what we know about the only federal dataset on COVID-19 outcomes in long-term care facilities.

Where to Find Simple COVID-19 Data for the US

As The COVID Tracking Project approaches its final day of data compilation on March 7, 2021, we are recommending a selection of federal data sources to people who want a quick and easy way to keep an eye on the pandemic.

By Erin KissaneMarch 4, 2021

Federal COVID Data 101: Working with Death Numbers

The CDC provides two different datasets regarding COVID-19 fatalities. Here’s a walkthrough of how they compare to each other and to The COVID Tracking Project’s data.

By Joseph Bensimon & Quang P. NguyenFebruary 25, 2021

Federal COVID Data 101: Working with Case Data

Here’s a walkthrough of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) daily case dataset and what you should know about it.

By Jennifer ClydeFebruary 24, 2021

Federal COVID Data 101: Working with Hospitalization Numbers

Here’s a walkthrough of the Department of Health and Human Services’ dataset and what you should know about it.

By Dave Luo & Catherine PollackFebruary 16, 2021

Learn More About Using Federal COVID-19 Data with The COVID Tracking Project

In February and March, we’ll hold a series of free trainings to help anyone who uses our data to understand existing federal numbers.

By Rachel GlickhouseFebruary 9, 2021