A cross-country database of COVID-19 testing

Our understanding of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic is built upon data concerning confrmed cases and deaths. This data, however, can only be meaningfully interpreted alongside an accurate understanding of the extent of virus testing in diferent countries. This new database brings together of...

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Autores:
Tipo de recurso:
Article of investigation
Fecha de publicación:
2020
Institución:
Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano
Repositorio:
Expeditio: repositorio UTadeo
Idioma:
eng
OAI Identifier:
oai:expeditiorepositorio.utadeo.edu.co:20.500.12010/14411
Acceso en línea:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-00688-8
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12010/14411
Palabra clave:
COVID-19
Testing
A cross-country
Síndrome respiratorio agudo grave
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
Coronavirus
Rights
License
Abierto (Texto Completo)
Description
Summary:Our understanding of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic is built upon data concerning confrmed cases and deaths. This data, however, can only be meaningfully interpreted alongside an accurate understanding of the extent of virus testing in diferent countries. This new database brings together ofcial data on the extent of PCR testing over time for 94 countries. We provide a time series for the daily number of tests performed, or people tested, together with metadata describing data quality and comparability issues needed for the interpretation of the time series. The database is updated regularly through a combination of automated scraping and manual collection and verifcation, and is entirely replicable, with sources provided for each observation. In providing accessible cross-country data on testing output, it aims to facilitate the incorporation of this crucial information into epidemiological studies, as well as track a key component of countries’ responses to COVID-19.