The focus of our newsletter this week is the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. We start with how investors are using composite alternative data to gauge the effect of Coronavirus on trade and economy. This is followed by a collection of impactful dashboards being used to track Coronavirus cases. Then, we include a story about the massive impact that this pandemic has had on China and the world’s air traffic. We cover a report about the United States downplaying or misrepresenting its data on Coronavirus as a result of low testing rates. Then we have a UNCTAD piece about the implications of COVID-19 on the operational behavior of container ships and the transportation of oil. To end, we include ‘The Coronavirus Ticker’, a ZIGRAM initiative to better showcase, visualize and keep our users updated about the latest developments, from across the world.
How investors are using ‘alternative’ data to track China’s recovery from coronavirus
Only a week ago market pundits were still telling investors to fade the panic from the COVID-19 outbreak. But Tracy Chen didn’t share in the optimism. The fund manager for Brandywine Global said an array of “alternative” datasets which offered frequent updates of how swiftly Chinese workers were returning to the factory floor painted a more dire picture of the world’s second largest economy.
The best, and the worst, of the coronavirus dashboards
If you’ve been on the web to learn more about the latest pandemic, chances are you’ve stumbled upon at least one or two coronavirus dashboards. These are the landing pages for interactive maps and visuals that show where the virus has spread, as well as numbers on the latest in infection rates and deaths, breakdowns of what countries are suffering from new cases and what regions are likely seeing new outbreaks, and much more.
Watch flight traffic literally disappear from the skies as the coronavirus hits travel demand
As the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States, major American carriers such as United Airlines and JetBlue have begun to cut domestic flights and even waive some fees for flight changes.
The Official Coronavirus Numbers Are Wrong, and Everyone Knows It
We know, irrefutably, one thing about the coronavirus in the United States: The number of cases reported in every chart and table is far too low. The data are untrustworthy because the processes we used to get them were flawed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s testing procedures missed the bulk of the cases. They focused exclusively on travelers, rather than testing more broadly, because that seemed like the best way to catch cases entering the country.
Short-terms effects of the coronavirus outbreak: what does the shipping data say?
It is too early to gauge the full economic and trade effects of the Coronavirus outbreak. However, shipping data, based on real-time observations of vessel positions (AIS) and information about the cargoes aboard those ships, already shows a change in the operational behaviour of container vessels and in the amount of oil products on the water.
The Coronavirus Ticker
Over the last 3 months, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic has spread globally, making it a rapidly evolving threat. The resulting deaths, instances of mass quarantine and rise in confirmed cases is increasing exponentially in certain parts of the world. Since understanding a problem is usually the first step towards solving it, we at ZIGRAM have set up a Coronavirus research group to help our users, customers and content consumers understand the epidemic better, by visualizing critical metrics and cases. We do this by tracking the outbreak, deaths, recoveries, cases, news, and advisories on an ongoing basis. Follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for regular updates as we track this global epidemic.
Source: https://mailchi.mp/zigram.tech/data-asset-weekly-dispatch_9_march
