VDH updates COVID-19 dashboards to streamline data, conform to CDC standards

The Virginia Department of Health continues to streamline information on its COVID-19 data dashboards to better reflect current COVID-19 trends in the Commonwealth and to align with updated reporting standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The changes went live today – and will update weekly on Tuesdays.

The COVID-19 summary dashboard aims to serve as a hub of priority metrics that provide an overview of COVID-19 trends and activity in Virginia.

The dashboard has been updated as follows:

Emergency Department Visits: Updated

• VDH will use the standard of “diagnosed COVID-19” to align with the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.
• Cases by date of illness (on the summary page): Removed
• COVID-19 cases are significantly underreported due to at-home tests. VDH will still maintain the individual case dashboard and continue to prioritize the surveillance of severe illnesses.

Hospital admissions: Updated

• A hospital admission level indicator that aligns with CDC levels will be added. Hospital Admissions will be updated to use the rate per 100,000 population of new admissions, changing from the number of new admissions.

Hospital beds in use: Updated

• Hospital beds in use will change from number of beds in use for COVID-19 to percent of total inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.
• An inpatient bed occupied level indicator, which will be aligned with CDC levels, will be added.

Vaccination: Updated

• This section of the summary dashboard will now display the cumulative total doses administered.
• The percent of people vaccinated with a primary series will be displayed.
• The percent of the population with up-to-date vaccinations will replace the number of booster/additional doses administered.
• Definition of “primary series” and “up to date” are explained on the revised dashboard.
• Primary series includes persons who received one dose of a single-dose vaccine or two doses with proper intervals of either a mRNA or a protein-based series.
• Up to date includes persons who have received all recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccine per the current CDC definition.
• The map will be updated to display the percent of the population who are up-to-date to reflect the current CDC definition.

Variants: Removed

• Sample sizes for Virginia isolates are low and not representative. The CDC genomic surveillance report for the Department of Health and Human Services Region 3 is available and includes Virginia data.

Several standalone COVID-19 dashboards will be updated as follows:

Vaccine Summary: Updated

• This dashboard will now display the percent of people vaccinated with a primary series, replacing the measures for count of and percent of people fully vaccinated, which conforms to the CDC standards.
• The percent of the population with up-to-date vaccination will replace the number of booster/additional doses administered.
• Definition of “primary series” and “up to date” are explained on the revised dashboard (see above).
• The map will be updated to display the percent of up-to-date to reflect the current CDC definition.
• The COVID-19 vaccination administration by day will be removed.

Vaccination demographics: Updated

• The dashboard will display demographic data populations who have completed their primary series or are up to date on vaccination, a change from the previously display of at least one dose, fully vaccinated, monovalent booster, and bivalent booster.
• The categories and headers have been simplified for improved clarity and user experience.
• Age group metrics have been updated, including removal of Ages: 12+ and addition of 6 months+.

Emergency Department Visits: Updated

• A simplified dashboard with prioritized metrics will be displayed.

Outbreaks: Removed

• VDH will communicate mitigation strategies to the public if any concerning COVID-19 outbreak trends were observed.

Weekly health district case data: Removed

• This is being retired to streamline the COVID-19 dashboards.

VDH remains dedicated to preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19, particularly for people at higher risk, and will continue working to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in the state. These dashboard changes are intended to streamline the information that is most helpful in tracking COVID-19 and its impact on Virginia at this point in the pandemic.

The VDH COVID-19 dashboards are available here.