Social distancing has ironically meant, for most, more proximity to news about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But, in fact, the depth of our dislocation seems to work to help us forget just how quickly and widely this disease has traveled around the world– from its originating point, late last year, in Wuhan, China. These two interactive maps below help us get our minds around the speed and the extent of the spread. They were created by Erik Woodworth of ARC’s Research & Analytics Group.

Global and National Covid-19 Diagnosed Cases

Click on the map below to access the interactive features. A slider button allows you to toggle between worldwide or  US geography. Once geography is selected and  the forward arrow selected, the tool shows the spread of the disease is shown, by location, daily from late January to the present day.  Another key feature is the ability to control the speed with which the map display moves through time. In the case of America, be sure to note the slow onset of the virus but the explosion of cases (and spatial spread) between early March and the present day.

State of Georgia Diagnosed Cases

The final map below (click on the picture for access) offers a slider button to select the whole world or the state of Georgia only. Once geography is selected and the forward arrow selected, the spread of the disease is shown daily from late January to the present day.  Again, the speed with which the map display moves through time can be controlled by drop-down menu. Note that, while Georgia cases remain concentrated in metro areas, by the end of the analysis period few broad areas of the state remain untouched .

Resources and Articles for Review

There are now a large and growing number of excellent websites and articles informing researchers and the public about the pandemic. Some of our favorites, so far, include:

Watch our blog in the coming weeks for more features on coronavirus, to include looks at vulnerable populations,  job losses, and overall economic impacts