NKU COVID-19 dashboard tracks regional cases

NKU has published an updating dashboard for COVID-19 related statistics of Northern Kentucky and Ohio, administrators released via email today.

The data collected by the dashboard will help guide administrators in future decisions in the semester and every community member has access to it, according to the email.

NKU opted for a regional dashboard rather than an NKU-specific dashboard because it said regional numbers are the best way to convey the level of COVID-19 cases students, staff and faculty would encounter. 

“Because we are not a residential campus, our borders are permeable and we reflect the surrounding community. In addition, the number of cases among the NKU community does not distinguish among those who come to campus regularly, come to campus rarely, or never come to campus, and so would not be informative regarding personal levels of risk,” the dashboard website said. 

 The website tracks current trends across the region, which include:  

• “The number of active cases in each state;
• Total number of regional active cases, age 20-29;
• Seven-day average of the number of new cases per 100,000 by county and state;
• And transmission rates by state.”

The dashboard was created by NKU’s Institute for Health Innovation and IT Team. 

“NKU continues to be an anchor in the region’s fight against COVID-19, and we have a responsibility to help mitigate as much of the uncertainty as we can. We are finding new ways to monitor the health of the community and the region,” said Dr. Valerie Hardcastle, IHI executive director and vice president for Health Innovation. “We know our campus community lives on both sides of the river, and this dashboard provides a reflective picture of the local COVID-19 environment.”

This dashboard is one of several initiatives created by the administration to raise awareness and help students become acclimated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some other initiatives include the Healthy@NKU app, where students can self monitor themselves for any possible symptoms prior to attending campus, and Norse Nine, a list that encourages proper health habits.