• _{Utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology}

• _{Detects proximity between users and alerts of potential exposure}

• _{Rationale: To improve the speed and scale of contact tracing efforts.}

• _{Example: Virginia's COVIDWISE app}

  _{(https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covidwise/)}

Data Analytics Platforms

• _{The platforms process large amounts of COVID-19 data to identify trends and make predictions.}

• _{Rationale: Data analytic platforms help inform decision-making and provide insights on infection rates, hospital capacity, and the effectiveness of interventions, enabling public health officials to make informed decisions.}

• _{Example: CDC's COVID Data Tracker (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/)}

Public Health Dashboards

• _{Displays key metrics (case numbers, deaths, hospitalizations, and vaccination rates)}

• _{Rationale: Helps provide transparent, accessible, and authoritative information}

• _Examples:

  • _{Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center (https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/)}

  • _{WHO COVID-19 Dashboard (https://covid19.who.int/)}

  • _{CDC COVID Data Tracker (https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/)}

• _{Enables remote consultations, diagnosis, and monitoring of patients}

• _{Rationale: Helps maintain healthcare services while adhering to social distancing}

_Examples:

• _{Teladoc Health (https://www.teladochealth.com/),}

• _{Amwell (https://business.amwell.com/)}

_Examples:

• _{CDC Twitter (https://twitter.com/CDCgov)}

• _{CDC Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CDC)}

• _{CDC YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/CDCstreamingHealth)}

• _{Facebook COVID-19 Information Center (https://www.facebook.com/coronavirus_info/)}

• _{Provides comprehensive epidemiological data}

• _{Rationale: To monitor the trajectory of the pandemic, inform policy decisions, and evaluate interventions.}

• _{Recent data:  As of the week of July 6, 2024, the United States reported a COVID-19 positivity rate of over 11.0% and a mortality rate of 0.8%. Additionally, as of the latest data as of March 30, 2024, an estimated 29.1% of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 and older had been vaccinated (CDC, 2024b).}

• _{Evaluation: The COVID data tracker illustrates progress (high vaccination rates) and challenges (ongoing cases, low booster uptake).}

• _{The data also reveals disparities in outcomes across demographic groups.}

_Links:

_{(https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/)}

_{(https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/coverage/covidvaxview/interactive/vaccination-dashboard.html)}

• _{Reduces risks of infection and severe outcomes}

• _{Improves health outcomes by preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death}

• _{Preserves healthy lifestyle by enabling safer social engagement and return to normal activities}

• _{Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: 95% effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection}