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Here's a TL;DR version of my latest story (link below). Three different measures hint that UT and NM are onto something when it comes to #Covid_19 testing, relative to other states. https://www.kunc.org/post/utah-and-new-mexico-lead-region-covid-19-testing-heres-how-theyve-done-it#stream/0 @KUNC #mtnwestnews 1/8
1) They've consistently been in the top 12 states for testing per capita. See my chart which (should) update every day with new data: https://public.tableau.com/profile/mwnb#!/vizhome/NumberOfCoronavirusTestsPer100000People/Sheet1 2/8
2) They have low test-positivity, which as @ashishkjha and @TheAtlantic @alexismadrigal have pointed out, is one sign a state is doing a good amount of testing relative to the severity of its outbreak. See this chart (using @COVID19Tracking data): https://public.tableau.com/profile/mwnb#!/vizhome/COVID-19testpositivitybystate/Sheet1 3/8
3) When you look week-to-week at the # of tests each state has done - and divide by population - you can see that UT and NM are a cut above the rest of the region in week-to-week testing increases. (Yet another chart thanks to @COVID19Tracking data!) https://public.tableau.com/profile/mwnb#!/vizhome/WeeklyIncreaseInCOVID-19TestsPer100000Population/Percapita 4/8
So what's different about them? Shortlist of what I found:
- they have testing czars. other states tend to take the team approach
- they have big, local laboratories focused on testing in-state
- these things may have have helped weather the supply chain madness 5/8
- they have testing czars. other states tend to take the team approach
- they have big, local laboratories focused on testing in-state
- these things may have have helped weather the supply chain madness 5/8
You guessed it. There's another chart. Note how states like CO and NV have relied on big national companies LabCorp and Quest for their testing. Meanwhile, the locally-based labs ARUP (UT) and TriCore (NM) have done a large part of their states' tests. https://public.tableau.com/profile/mwnb#!/vizhome/PercentofCOVID-19testingdonebyvariouslabs/barchart 6/8
Side note: somewhat confusingly, last week National Jewish Health in Denver started doing 400-500 COVID-19 tests a day ... for New Mexico. 7/8
There are lots of other things that are different about our states (see some of them in my article). And, of course, the story is changing every day. For example: @siliconslopes blasting Utah's testing numbers through the roof lately. So, stay tuned! @KUNC #mtnwestnews 8/8
