COVID-19 and the flu, revisited

COVID-19 isn’t the same as influenza. But the way we end up dealing with it long term may be. As I’ve noted previously, the Rt number, representing the the average number of people who will become infected by a person infected at time “t”, is falling nearly everywhere in the U.S., due to our nation’s […]

COVID numbers are improving in Michigan

This post relies on data from covidestim.com. The map key is here: I am not an epidemiologist, but I have a life-long fascination with numbers and the relationships between them. As I’ve written before, I’m concerned that both because of the media’s goal to reduce complex ideas to a headline that will get people to […]

One last word on efficacy rates and a return to normal

I wrote a lot of words on Thursday about COVID vaccination statistics because I’ve been frustrated that the media – and by extension, the majority of Americans – continue to focus on the potential for more public health and economic distress from the pandemic instead of the positive overall direction we’re headed. It’s understandable, I […]

A deeper dive into COVID data

I’m taking a deeper dive into some COVID-19 data today. I’m concerned and frustrated that the coverage of the virus has been, and continues to be, too shallow. We’re focusing on things like cumulative numbers of deaths, which has been terrible and significant, certainly. But the real story is much more complex than that, which […]

Lies, damn lies, and statistics

I confess that my headline is intended to grab a few additional readers, because the topic of today’s post – data – isn’t very sexy. In our alternative facts world, having a bit more respect for actual data would be helpful. But the other end of the spectrum, where “data-driven” becomes an obsession or worse, […]