As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, a real-time tracking map has been set up by the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) to help monitor the situation. The map continuously updates, as more coronavirus cases are confirmed by health agencies.
The data displayed on the dashboard comes from various sources including the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese website DXY, which collates data from China’s National Health Commission and the CCDC.
“The online dashboard points to regions and countries where patients have been diagnosed with the virus. The larger the dot on the map, the more cases in that area,” said Curtis Rosen, the technology expert from TheGoodEstate. “Unfortunately, the map shows that right now the number of infected individuals is still continuing to grow.”
According to the information displayed on the tracker on January 30, the coronavirus has infected 7,000 people, most in mainland China. The dashboard also shows 14 confirmed cases in Thailand, 11 in Japan, 10 in Hong Kong, 10 in Singapore and eight in Taiwan. Further afield, seven coronavirus cases have been reported in Australia, five in France, five in the United States and four in Germany. To date, 170 people who have contracted the virus have died and 133 have recovered.
“We built this dashboard because we think it is important for the public to have an understanding of the outbreak situation as it unfolds with transparent data sources,” said Lauren Gardner, a civil engineering professor and CSSE’s co-director. “For the research community, this data will become more valuable as we continue to collect it over time.”
The coronavirus originated in Wuhan, the seventh-largest city in China, with the World Health Organization first informed of the outbreak on December 31. It has been reported, however, that some individuals showed symptoms of the virus as early as December 8. The disease has been linked to coronaviruses, including SARS and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).