Collecting Statistics: Problems and Progress

GovExec had an article on the problems with data collection during the pandemic from the Covid Tracking Project.

Above and beyond any individual reporting practice, we believe that it was the lack of explanations from state governments and, most crucially, the CDC that led to misuse of data and wounded public trust. We tried our best to provide explanations where possible, and we saw transformation when we were able to get the message across to the public. Data users who were frustrated or even doubtful came to trust the numbers. Journalists reported more accurately. Hospitals could better anticipate surges.

If we could make just one change to the way state and federal COVID-19 data were reported, it would be to make an open acknowledgment of the limitations of public-health-data infrastructure whenever the data is presented. And if we could make one plea for what comes next, it’s that these systems receive the investment they deserve.

[Updated: Technology Review describes   a consortium to collect and standardize covid data into one database for research purposes. It sounds a bit klugey but that's the penalty for prioritizing privacy and silos over a rationalized centralized system. The question is whether we'll wake up and fund continuing efforts of this sort.}