Where Does Hawaii Stand in Terms of Publicly Available COVID-19 Data?
by Nick Redding, Hawaii Data Collaborative
As we observe the surge in new COVID-19 cases in Hawaii over the last two days, and with case counts and fatalities rising rapidly on the mainland, it is important to take stock of the data we have available to us to understand if our situation is likely to stay the same, improve, or get worse. There are critical decisions to be made for our community regarding when to lift travel restrictions, how to reopen schools safely, and what thresholds would trigger re-imposing social distancing mandates.
Earlier this week, a New York-based nonprofit, Resolve to Save Lives (RSL), headed by the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released a report outlining “15 essential indictors” that should be reflected in every State COVID-19 dashboard, including in what format the data should be reported and how the data should be stratified by age, sex, ethnicity and geography. Based on this framework, RSL inventoried each State in terms of the data that is currently publicly available. The results for Hawaii are not flattering. Out a possible 100%, Hawaii currently scores at 13%, making available (to RSL’s satisfaction) four out of the 15 recommended indicators:
Note: Yellow rows demonstrate some level of reporting of this indicator (and highlight where we felt a score of ‘0’ was not correct), red rows demonstrate no relevant data reported, and grey highlights an indicator we felt was problematic. Perfectly aligned indicator reporting, if identified, would show as green.
Before talking about what this score means, it is important to note that even the highest scoring state (Minnesota) only achieved a 43% grade. Further, as we looked more closely at Hawaii’s data in reference to this framework, we felt that a slightly higher score was warranted due to how some items were scored, and the fact that some of the items–such as mask wearing–are fairly challenging to measure or report effectively. These items are highlighted in yellow or grey, rather than red, to incorporate this nuance.
However, while the specifics of the recommendations are certainly debatable, the merits of the RSL effort are clear: Each state needs to commit to consistently reporting a comprehensive set of valid indicators that are absolutely critical for effectively managing the spread of COVID-19 locally and nationally. For Hawaii, there are at least seven critical data points that are not reported at all, which represents a serious gap in the information we as a community have available to us to understand, and place in context, the data that is reported, such as daily new cases, hospitalizations and fatalities.
Most of the gaps in publicly reported data are available to some decision makers. For example, contact tracing and hospital data are available to, and monitored by, State authorities. However, holding back this data seriously limits the broader benefit of these critical indicators for the community of nonprofit and business leaders, county agencies and concerned citizens who need to understand what lies ahead, and will make decisions based on the best understanding they have. We should all do our part to advocate for the sharing of this data, so we can all be more effective in navigating the challenges that lie ahead.
Stay tuned next week for a follow-on piece that will explore in more detail why these specific indicators are critical for providing a fuller picture of the COVID-19 situation in Hawaii.
