Emily Acheson
Mapping COVID-19:
A Look at GIS Resources Around the World
By: Emily Acheson, Balca Ağaçsapan, Antonio Annis, Rosa Coluzzi, Nael Al Hassanieh, Simon Haumann, Leigh McKenzie, Damien Mensell, Alan Pearse, Maud Soetens, Lisa Stähli, Sander Varbla, Kenneth Wong
May 15th, 2020
Mapping plays a central role in understanding emergence, outbreak clusters, and disease spread over space and time. As the distribution and destruction of the disease COVID-19 (caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-COV-2) increases, so do efforts from GIS analysts around the world to determine where it started, where it is now, and where it’s going.
To learn about mapping dashboards, data, and strategies around the world, I contacted a group of Esri Young Scholars I met at the Esri User Conference in San Diego in 2017. Nearly everyone offered contributions to this article. I also made a call out to volunteers on Twitter, and several graciously offered contributions or suggestions.
To all of the contributors, thank you.
The information provided below is just a sample of the many incredible mapping efforts being done around the world to fight COVID-19, regardless of the mapping technologies powering them. I asked for anything with mapping and GIS, so some of the examples below are not affiliated with Esri.
Nearly every contributor is from, and/or writes about, COVID-19-related GIS work being done in one of these countries or regions:
-- Australia
-- Canada
-- Estonia
-- France
-- Hong Kong
-- Italy
-- Lebanon
-- The Netherlands
-- New Zealand
-- Switzerland
-- Turkey
-- The United Kingdom
-- The United States
Due to article length limitations, we each only discuss one or two mapping projects per country. However, many countries are developing numerous mapping strategies and, since this article was started over a month ago, lots has changed since then. We have covered as much as we could with the space and time given.
We hope you find it useful,
Emily Acheson
Esri-Powered Dashboards and Initiatives
Nael Al Hassanieh
Maud Soetens
Leigh McKenzie
Lisa StÄhli
Country-Specific Dashboards and Initiatives
International Mapping dashboards
Esri-Powered Dashboards and Initiatives
In this section, we detail some mapping initiatives that have used Esri technologies. A lot of countries are using some variation of the Coronavirus Response template from the ArcGIS hub to build a mapping website for their respective countries. This is not an exhaustive list, but gives just a sample of the work being done with the help of Esri.
Australia
Written by Alan Pearse
Esri Australia recently released a suite of interactive tools and resources for mapping COVID-19 infections here. One of these is the Esri Australia COVID-19 Map, whose development was managed by Esri Australia’s Simon Jackson. It gives a state-by-state breakdown of confirmed cases and deaths based on data retrieved from The Guardian (the global online newspaper).
Some other dashboards and data in Esri Australia’s COVID-19 hub take other approaches to COVID-19 mapping besides directly plotting confirmed cases.
For example, one app maps the spatial density of people over 65 years of age based on Australia’s 2016 census data in order to paint a picture of where one of the groups most vulnerable to COVID-19 are situated.
Some other dashboards and data in Esri Australia’s COVID-19 hub take other approaches to COVID-19 mapping besides directly plotting confirmed cases.
For example, one app maps the spatial density of people over 65 years of age based on Australia’s 2016 census data in order to paint a picture of where one of the groups most vulnerable to COVID-19 are situated.
The Esri Australia COVID-19 map and interactive dashboard. The size of the blue circles in the states’ centroids is proportional to the number of infections; the size of the red circles is proportional to the number of deaths.
Canada
Written by Emily Acheson
In addition to the COVID-19 Canada dashboard on the Esri hub and the Public Health Agency of Canada dashboard, Esri technology is also being used to power the COVID-19 dashboard for British Columbia.
The BC Centre for Disease Control provides its own maps and COVID-19 data for the province, which are updated Monday to Friday at 5 pm (Pacific Standard Time). The data are also provided in .csv format for free download.
The BC Centre for Disease Control provides its own maps and COVID-19 data for the province, which are updated Monday to Friday at 5 pm (Pacific Standard Time). The data are also provided in .csv format for free download.
The British Columbia COVID-19 dashboard as of May 13th, 2020 (source here).
Estonia
Written by Sander Varbla
The official COVID-19 data for Estonia is provided by ministries and boards (e.g., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Board), each of whom produce their own interactive maps that depict the current situation and relating information. However, through cooperation with the state this data is utilized by others, too.
For instance, an Estonian geoinformatics company AlphaGIS has set up a web portal where materials on COVID-19 can be found. They use the Esri platform (available only in Estonian). Besides maps that show the current spread of the virus, there is also information about European transit options and travel restrictions, distribution of risk groups (people 60+) and materials regarding apothecaries and virus testing sites in Estonia, among others. One can also find a map that directs to the resources and maps of other countries.
For instance, an Estonian geoinformatics company AlphaGIS has set up a web portal where materials on COVID-19 can be found. They use the Esri platform (available only in Estonian). Besides maps that show the current spread of the virus, there is also information about European transit options and travel restrictions, distribution of risk groups (people 60+) and materials regarding apothecaries and virus testing sites in Estonia, among others. One can also find a map that directs to the resources and maps of other countries.
Italy
Written by Dr. Antonio Annis and Dr. Rosa Coluzzi
The most well-used map for COVID-19 in Italy is one created by the Italian National Civil Protection Department that is based on the official data provided by the Italian Ministry of Health (visit it here). The map is an ArcGIS Operational Dashboard, with a similar style to the well-known map by Johns Hopkins University. Data about cumulative cases, recovered cases, and deaths can be visualized both numerically on the map at national, provincial, and regional levels, as well as graphically at the national scale.
ArcGIS Operational Dashboard developed by the Italian national Civil Protection Department (source here).
Lebanon
Written by Nael Al Hassanieh
In Lebanon different entities are putting huge efforts to track and monitor COVID-19 cases. One of the main entities working on this issue is University of Balamand. As part of the University of Balamand commitment to the community and the country in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the GIS Center at the Faculty of Engineering developed a novel App, HAYATI, which means “my life” in Arabic. HAYATI collects data at the individual level to build a comprehensive database that is geo-located. The collected data allows the fast screening and tracking of potential COVID-19 cases. It also identifies people with high risks (elderlies, pregnant, low immunity, people with chronic diseases, etc…) living in near proximity of potential COVID-19 cases.
Left: a screenshot of the questionnaire section of the Hayati mobile application. Right: HAYATI’s Real-time ArcGIS Operational Dashboard, powered by the GIS Center at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Balamand. Developed by Engineer Patrick Daou.
HAYATI uses an advanced COVID-19 diagnosis calculator to compute the risk levels. The COVID-19 risk calculator used in HAYATI is designed by the Consultant to the President for Wellbeing & Healthcare at the University of Balamand, based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), and the Lebanese Society for Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (LSIDCM), among others. The criteria used in the calculator are dynamically updated based on new reports from reliable health resources and the latest findings from the WHO.
The Netherlands
Written by Maud Soetens
One platform that is used in the Netherlands is the NL COVID-19 hub. This is a site created and monitored by Esri Netherlands. This initiative forms a place of information where companies and government organizations in the geo-information sector can collaborate to deliver up-to-date open data for COVID-19 researchers and the general public. An important part of the hub is this Esri-powered dashboard about the coronavirus situation in the Netherlands. A couple of the affiliated organizations and the data they deliver include the following:
1) The Netherlands’ Cadastre: This organization collects and registers data, including spatial data, on property and the rights involved. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they are reporting, among other things, locations of cemeteries and crematoriums.
2) Locatus: This European market database is delivering data about the size of supermarkets, pharmacies and drugstores and therefore the number of people that can enter.
3) Cyclomedia: This Dutch company has made their high quality 360° street photos of the whole Netherlands publicly available so organizations can work better from home.
1) The Netherlands’ Cadastre: This organization collects and registers data, including spatial data, on property and the rights involved. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they are reporting, among other things, locations of cemeteries and crematoriums.
2) Locatus: This European market database is delivering data about the size of supermarkets, pharmacies and drugstores and therefore the number of people that can enter.
3) Cyclomedia: This Dutch company has made their high quality 360° street photos of the whole Netherlands publicly available so organizations can work better from home.
A screenshot of the NL COVID_19 Hub where information (offered in Dutch) is delivered and freely accessible (source here).
New Zealand
Written by Leigh McKenzie
To track COVID-19 in New Zealand, Eagle Technology Group Ltd. has teamed with Esri to provide GIS dashboards and apps for COVID-19 cases across the country (complimenting maps and information provided by the Ministry of Health; more on this in the “Country-Specific Dashboards and Initiatives” section). Cases, recoveries, deaths, and time-series data are provided for New Zealand here and can help users get started on their own customized maps.
A screenshot of the New Zealand Eagle Technology Group Ltd. COVID-19 time series dashboard as of May 9th, 2020 (source here).
Switzerland
Written by Lisa Stähli
In Switzerland, the COVID-19 crisis has sparked numerous initiatives from the tech industry to help fight the spread, including multiple hackathons such as Versus Virus and #CodeVsCovid19. In the latter, which already happened on March 27, many location-based projects have been submitted.
One example of these location-based projects is a risk map here, where users can upload their location tracks and calculate their infection risk (see the image below). Powered by Esri, this risk map example shows how powerful GIS can be not only for governments to keep track of the spread, but also for individuals to make informed decisions for themselves.
One example of these location-based projects is a risk map here, where users can upload their location tracks and calculate their infection risk (see the image below). Powered by Esri, this risk map example shows how powerful GIS can be not only for governments to keep track of the spread, but also for individuals to make informed decisions for themselves.
A screenshot of the interactive map of Zürich, Switzerland as of April 12th, 2020 on shouldibeworried.info. The intensity of green areas demonstrates a person’s infection risk for COVID-19. The map also shows activity tracks and a calculated risk factor out of 100.
The United Kingdom
Written by Dr. Damien Mansell
The Public Health England (PHE) COVID-19 Dashboard, powered by Esri, is a fantastic example of a well-designed and easy-to-use dashboard allowing users to view and interact with local and national data on the coronavirus. The web map shows reported cases in the UK, reported cases per upper tier local authority (UTLA), new cases confirmed each day, and the number of UK deaths due to coronavirus. Events are time-stamped with the date Public Heath England was informed of the new case or death. The dashboard has separate links for desktop and mobile viewing.
The underlying web map uses proportional symbology, with the area of the circle relative to the number of cases in the geographic area. This is an effective way to avoid the inherently unequal characteristics of the local authority areas including the size of the regions and population densities. This standard practice is something that has been overlooked by many media-produced maps, which instead plot totals as a choropleth map and make comparisons between areas meaningless.
Symbol clustering is applied to the circles to make it easier to visually extract meaningful information from the data. At the country level, the local data are combined to show national values. As the user zooms in to explore the map, the symbols update to show the local authority data (see the figure below).
The underlying web map uses proportional symbology, with the area of the circle relative to the number of cases in the geographic area. This is an effective way to avoid the inherently unequal characteristics of the local authority areas including the size of the regions and population densities. This standard practice is something that has been overlooked by many media-produced maps, which instead plot totals as a choropleth map and make comparisons between areas meaningless.
Symbol clustering is applied to the circles to make it easier to visually extract meaningful information from the data. At the country level, the local data are combined to show national values. As the user zooms in to explore the map, the symbols update to show the local authority data (see the figure below).
Examples of symbol clustering and separation as the user zooms into central London on the map. At the country level (far left), the local data are combined to show national values. As the user zooms in (middle and far right), the symbols update to show the local authority data.
Should you wish to recreate this dashboard or display the data in another way, the UK government provides the data in .csv format (here). If you do something interesting with this data, it would be great to see it. Please tweet your work or message me (my contact info is at the end of this post).
The United States / International
Written by Emily Acheson
One of the most popular Esri-fueled global interactive mapping dashboards for COVID-19 is that developed by researchers in the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The data are freely accessible in a GitHub repository and the feature layers are available in the Esri Living Atlas.
First shared publicly on January 22nd, 2020, this dashboard is updated in real time and provides confirmed cases, deaths, recoveries, epidemiological curves, and more. If you’d like to read more about how it was made, details have been published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases here.
First shared publicly on January 22nd, 2020, this dashboard is updated in real time and provides confirmed cases, deaths, recoveries, epidemiological curves, and more. If you’d like to read more about how it was made, details have been published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases here.
A screenshot of the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Map (source here).
Country-Specific Dashboards and Initiatives
The following mapping dashboards and initiatives were developed using non-Esri technologies.
Canada
Written by Emily Acheson
Two University of Toronto PhD students, Isha Berry and Jean-Paul Soucy, have created a dashboard that tracks COVID-19 cases in Canada. The mapping section of the dashboard, which receives hundreds of views at any given second, uses OpenStreetMap to plot cases updated in real time. While the overview screen shows a choropleth map of cumulative cases per province, the case map is interactive and shows graduated symbols for geographic centres of health regions and their up-to-date cumulative cases.
A screenshot of the Canadian COVID-19 dashboard (source here).
Estonia
Written by Sander Varbla
Another good example is provided for Estonians as a result of the Hack the Crisis Garage48 Hackathon, which now has transformed into a global movement. One of the many products of this movement is an interactive up-to-date map of COVID-19 cases, deaths, and recoveries in Estonia (shown below).
A virus spread map that depicts up-to-date data about the COVID-19 cases in Estonia. This image shows data for May 13th, 2020 (source here).
Hong Kong
Written by Kenneth Wong
What makes Hong Kong unique is its population density – on average, there are 26,000 residents living in every single square kilometre of developed land. Mapping needs to be done in as fine a resolution as possible to track the origin of COVID-19 and prevent further spread. The coronavirus maps in Hong Kong are usually mapped at the building level.
A powerful information website in Hong Kong called wars.vote4.hk has been developed completely by volunteers. The website integrates information about high-risk areas, each patient’s condition, and Open Street Map-based interactive maps plotting every building with COVID-19 cases. In addition to confirmed cases, patients in quarantine are also mapped.
A powerful information website in Hong Kong called wars.vote4.hk has been developed completely by volunteers. The website integrates information about high-risk areas, each patient’s condition, and Open Street Map-based interactive maps plotting every building with COVID-19 cases. In addition to confirmed cases, patients in quarantine are also mapped.
A screenshot of a map created by wars.vote4.hk.
New Zealand
Written by Leigh McKenzie
For New Zealand, the Ministry of Health has been using a simple labelled, thematic map to show the geographic distribution of total COVID-19 cases (see the image below). This is available on the Ministry of Health’s website and updated daily. The benefit of this mapping approach is its simplicity. Also, by associating the place name with the number of cases, the map more precisely indicates where the cases are located, compared to labels of case numbers or proportionate symbols alone. However, this map does not distinguish confirmed, probable, or recovered cases.
Thematic map summarizing the total cases of COVID-19 across New Zealand. Image taken on May 13th, from the Ministry of Health, ‘Covid-19, Current Cases’ (source here).
Turkey
Written by Balca Ağaçsapan
Easy access to pharmacies has gained importance in the pandemic process where access to protective equipment and medicines is important.
The Turkish Pharmacists’ Association (Türk Eczacıları Birliği) provides information on a mobile app that illustrates pharmacies on shift using the map infrastructure of Başarsoft (an IT company based in Turkey). This information can easily be adapted to risk management applications as a utility service. In Turkish, the app is called “Eczanem Nerede” or “Where’s my pharmacy?” Through this mapping app, users can locate their nearest pharmacy quickly.
The Turkish Pharmacists’ Association (Türk Eczacıları Birliği) provides information on a mobile app that illustrates pharmacies on shift using the map infrastructure of Başarsoft (an IT company based in Turkey). This information can easily be adapted to risk management applications as a utility service. In Turkish, the app is called “Eczanem Nerede” or “Where’s my pharmacy?” Through this mapping app, users can locate their nearest pharmacy quickly.
You can download the app here.
International Mapping Collaborations
NextStrain
Written by Balca Ağaçsapan and Emily Acheson
Nextstrain.org combines geography and genomics to provide real-time maps of COVID-19 and other pathogens. They use genetic data from pathogens to track the spread of diseases around the world. There are two main components to the mapping of each pathogen. The first component you see is a phylogenetic tree (which can be altered to whichever format you like using the left sidebar) and, directly below, is a map of disease transmissions over time. You can select which time range you would like to look at (the phylogenetic tree and map are linked so they change in sync as the time bar progresses).
This collaborative team credits the GISAID Initiative. GISAID promotes international sharing of influenza virus sequences, related clinical and epidemiological data, and geographical data to help researchers study the potential causal factors in viral pandemics.
To check out the most up-to-date mapping of COVID-19, click here.
This collaborative team credits the GISAID Initiative. GISAID promotes international sharing of influenza virus sequences, related clinical and epidemiological data, and geographical data to help researchers study the potential causal factors in viral pandemics.
To check out the most up-to-date mapping of COVID-19, click here.
Tracking pathogen evolution in real time. This map shows 838 genomes sampled between December 2019 and March 2020 from Nextstrain.org.
Teralytics
Written by Simon Haumann
Teralytics, a Zurich-based start-up company, provides insights into peoples’ mobility based on mobile signals. On a normal day, these data facilitate transport planners’ decisions. While it might be more helpful than ever for them – say to adjust their capacities to the actual current demand on a daily basis to ensure social distancing – Teralytics also extended its focus in the wake of COVID-19 (see here).
Teralytics now offers their data for free to epidemiologists, research institutes, and health authorities. By doing so, Teralytics helps researchers assess whether and in which degree policy interventions have been proven effective, among other initiatives. Hence, Teralytics has partnered with the John Hopkins University or the German Robert Koch Institute to track how mobility is affected across Germany due to COVID-19. Teralytics also tries to encourage even more people to stay home with articles like in Germany’s Bild and Italy’s la Repubblica – with interactive maps similar to the ones for Germany or Italy now also available for the US.
If you are among the mentioned organizations and think this data could help in your efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 please reach out to info@teralytics.net.
Teralytics now offers their data for free to epidemiologists, research institutes, and health authorities. By doing so, Teralytics helps researchers assess whether and in which degree policy interventions have been proven effective, among other initiatives. Hence, Teralytics has partnered with the John Hopkins University or the German Robert Koch Institute to track how mobility is affected across Germany due to COVID-19. Teralytics also tries to encourage even more people to stay home with articles like in Germany’s Bild and Italy’s la Repubblica – with interactive maps similar to the ones for Germany or Italy now also available for the US.
If you are among the mentioned organizations and think this data could help in your efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 please reach out to info@teralytics.net.
Most recent data up to April 11th 2020 for trips taken across the United States on an interactive map powered by Teralytics. Source: Teralytics. For details, please see this.
Final Thoughts
Partnerships between disease specialists and mapping experts continue to grow. One great example of that has been this article itself, contributed to by scientists around the world. Others even got in touch asking for mapping assistance for their respective countries. I received a request over Twitter to post an opportunity for GIS enthusiasts to help map France’s COVID-19 data. Data are coming in daily for France here. (Si vous pouvez lire et écrire en Français, ça serait même mieux!) Thank you to @ChristopheVe and @bzg2 for the request.
If you would like even more reading about COVID-19 and GIS mapping around the world, I’d suggest this article in the International Journal of Health Geographics. If you have any questions or comments for any of our contributors, we have all provided our contact information directly below. Stay safe, everyone.
About our Authors
Antonio Annis
Italy
Dr. Annis is a civil hydraulic engineer with a PhD in flood modeling. He is currently affiliated with the WARREDOC (Water Resources Research and Documentation Center) in Perugia, Umbria, Italy.
Rosa
Coluzzi
Coluzzi
Italy
Dr. Coluzzi is a researcher at the IMAA-CNR (Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis – Italian National Research Council) with a PhD in Environmental Engineering.
Simon Haumann
Switzerland
Simon is a Product Manager for Teralytics, a Zurich-based start-up company in Switzerland with offices in Singapore and the United States.
Damien Mansell
The United Kingdom
Dr. Mansell is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom with a PhD in glacier studies.
Alan
Pearse
Pearse
Australia
Alan is a PhD student at the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia.
Lisa
StÄhli
StÄhli
Switzerland
Lisa is a software engineer for ArcGIS Urban at the Esri R&D Center in Zurich, Switzerland.
Sander Varbla
Estonia
Sander is currently a PhD candidate at the Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia.
Kenneth Wong
Hong Kong
Kenneth holds a Master’s of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Hong Kong.