What is Global.health?
is a new platform that’s been set up to track and predict infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. Currently, Global.health’s COVID-19 data covers more than five million anonymised cases across over 100 countries.
Importantly, it also includes the ability to track specific strains of the virus. These cases can be viewed on the G.h , with filtering available based on the virus strain.
You can also see the raw data at G.h . Data includes a case ID, confirmed date, country, age, gender, hospitalisation date/period and when symptoms started. This raw data is available to anyone, although you do need to provide an email address or sign-in with Google.
also includes research that use the datasets, such as a mathematical modelling piece on the effectiveness of isolation, testing, contact tracing, and physical and a look at the effects of age on COVID .
Who’s behind Global.health?
The project is supported by funding from Google.org, the Rockefeller Center and Oxford Martin School. It’s led by academics from Oxford, Harvard, Northeastern, Boston Children’s Hospital, University of Washington and Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
How did it start?
started as a spreadsheet that was created by the director of Northeastern University’s Emergent Epidemics Lab, Samuel Scarpino working with other epidemiologists around the world to share COVID-19 data. The platform, in its current form, was launched late last month.
Salsa Digital’s take
We’re passionate about open data, open and the open revolution, and how these movements can drive digital transformation in government, as well as contributing to social good. shows how people coming together and sharing data at a global level can help the entire population — in this case helping us to find out more about COVID-19 and fight it at a global level.
