Covid Cases and Stringency Measures by State

Synopsis of the Data:

• Data obtained from Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University at this link

• NYTimes article made similar graphics with the same data

• Used tips here to make these animated plots

Cumulative Cases and Deaths:

• Each dot represents a state in the U.S.

• Dots move with each day of available data as the daily level of stringency and reported cases or deaths changes

• The x-axis is the stringency index created by the University of Oxford

  • Higher stringency index values are assigned to states with more COVID containment measures.
    • I.e. - school closure, workplace closure mandates, cancellation of public events, restrictions on gatherings, closing public transport, and more.
    • Full list of variables considered for stringency index can be found at the .csv file link above

• The y-axis is cumulative cases or deaths

Short Term Effects of Stringency Index on Cases and Deaths (Sep-Nov)

• Below are plotted the daily reported totals against the stringency index date 2 weeks prior to the date displayed
  • Showing this data gives a better picture about how stringent containment measures work on case numbers in the short term
  • The 2nd plot is the number of daily deaths reported against the stringency index 2 weeks prior
  • Notice the states with lower stringency index scores from 2 weeks prior tend to jump up much more often than those with higher indexes

What is a rolling average?

Average Stringency Index and its effect on case load

• It appears that there is a statistically significant relationship between the stringency index and the avg. daily case load. To look at local effects, a rolling average could also be calculated for each of these variables

Final: A Somber Reminder of the Total Number of Cases and Deaths in the United States as of November 15th, 2020

• Please Do your part and follow CDC guidelines to prevent this problem from getting worse.