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Data and Metrics

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October 5, 2020

Is it true that Sweden has gotten to herd immunity without lockdown? Should we all be doing what they are doing?

Data and Metrics Infection and Spread

A: No, Sweden has not reached herd immunity, nor have they fared well economically or with respect to COVID-19 mortality. Swedes also voluntarily changed behavior more than is frequently assumed. While there has been a fascination with being Sweden during this pandemic, there are many misconceptions about their experience that are worth clearing up: *Myth …

October 1, 2020

What exactly is a “superspreader” and what makes one person a superspreader and another person not?

Data and Metrics Infection and Spread

A: The word “superspreader” simply refers to someone who is infected with COVID-19 and–somehow–manages to pass it along to a whole lot of other people. Specifically, a superspreader infects many more people than you would expect based on the averages. We’ve seen situations where one infected person got dozens of others sick. We’ve also seen …

September 28, 2020

Is COVID-19 becoming less deadly?

Data and Metrics

 Q: Why are deaths not as high as in the Spring? A: There is no evidence that the virus itself has become milder. The lower numbers of deaths we see now compared to equivalent numbers of cases in the Spring is likely due to 3 main factors: 1) MORE TESTING: Early in the pandemic we …

September 11, 2020

Did the Sturgis bike rally really cause 266,796 new COVID-19 cases?

Data and Metrics Infection and Spread Uncertainty and Misinformation

A: Extremely unlikely. (but that doesn’t mean it didn’t increase transmission…) The Nerdy Girls want to give you straight talk about the data whether or not it comports with our pre-existing views (like the general idea that mass gatherings are *not* a good idea during the pandemic). Trust in science relies on having high standards …

August 26, 2020

Absolute vs. Relative Risk

Data and Metrics Uncertainty and Misinformation

Friendly Pop Quiz! Which of these two statements sounds more impressive? (1) “Terrific Treatment reduced COVID mortality risk 50%!” (2) “Terrific Treatment reduced COVID mortality risk from 2 per 100 to 1 per 100!” The first of these two equivalent statements is, of course, the “right” answer. Which is why we scientists – in the …