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World
Varied Testing Policies
While estimates of the percentage of people with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic vary widely, patients who have contracted the disease, but do not experience symptoms, are believed to be able to spread the virus. Many public health experts have indicated robust testing regimes, including testing those without symptoms, can lead to better control of the pandemic and a deeper understanding of the true breadth of the spread. However, many countries around the world vary significantly in testing policies and the number of tests available to the public. According to this map by Our World in Data, of 184 countries surveyed, only 61 have policies allowing anyone, including people not exhibiting symptoms, to be tested for COVID-19. Seventy-eight countries test anyone with symptoms, including hard hit countries of India, Italy, and the U.K., and 44 only test people displaying symptoms and belonging to a key group (i.e. key workers, those admitted to a hospital, or returned from overseas). The significant variety in testing policies implies public health officials may never know the extent of the spread of COVID-19.
This interactive map depicts the differences in testing policies globally. Click on the map to learn more.
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Mauritius
Chagos Islands Ruling
The United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLS) ruled the United Kingdom has no sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, an archipelago in the central Indian Ocean. The UK has occupied the islands, which they call the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), since 1814. In 2019, the UN General Assembly passed a near-unanimous ruling that the Chagos Islands should be administered by Mauritius, a former British colony located off the coast of Madagascar. UK officials dispute claims of Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Islands but have promised to turn over control of the islands once they are no longer needed for defense purposes. The islands are considered geopolitically important to counter the expansion of Chinese military power in the Indian Ocean. Since the 1960s, the United States has operated an airbase on the atoll of Diego Garcia, a lease Mauritius is committed to maintaining. Mauritius is expected to begin redrawing its maritime boundaries in accordance with the ruling.This map depicts the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and the U.S. airbase on Diego Garcia. Click on the map to expand.
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Georgia
Liquid Nitrogen Leak
A liquid nitrogen leak at a poultry plant in Gainesville, Georgia killed six people yesterday. The incident happened at the Foundation Food Group plant, just 60 miles north of Atlanta. The leak was first reported at 10:12 am local time yesterday morning and quickly led to a hazardous materials response after realizing it was a liquid nitrogen leak. Twelve people were injured and taken to hospitals, including four firefighters who responded to the leak. An additional 130 employees were evacuated to a local church to receive a medical examination. Five individuals lost their lives at the plant, with a sixth passing away at the hospital. Authorities reported that the liquid nitrogen leak was contained before an explosion could occur. The cause of the leak remains unknown and is under investigation by local authorities.
This map depicts the location of the liquid nitrogen leak. Click on the map to learn more.
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Based on new research published in JAMA Network Open, some maps can successfully communicate infection rates however, they seem to have little impact on intentions to follow public health guidance. In May, Angela Fagerlin, a professor of population health sciences at the University of Utah, and her colleagues surveyed a diverse sample of 2,676 U.S. residents, showing one of six maps (shown above) then asking respondents about their knowledge of COVID-19 spread and infection risks, as well as their intended behavior. A control group was not shown any maps and were asked about their knowledge of the pandemic instead. The results showed that heat maps showing per capita case rates (maps C, F) were associated with better knowledge about the virus’s prevalence. However, respondents in the control group scored about the same on their pandemic knowledge as respondents who saw maps. None of the maps had any measurable effect on whether respondents intended to follow public health guidelines, and all were associated with reduced perceptions of the pandemic’s serious risks and awareness of infection trends.
These findings affirm what social scientists have understood for decades. When making personal decisions, such as following public health guidelines, most people heed their emotions, not data. For the general public, numbers don’t carry the same effect as peer groups, social norms, and what people you admire are saying to do. From this study, messages that address barriers to safe behaviors and finding the right messenger to convey them may be more effective in communicating to the public the severity of the pandemic compared to graphics and maps on their own.
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Q: What place on Earth can you find the easternmost and westernmost point of a continent?
A: Alaska, United States
Alaska is known for an abundance of geographical superlatives, including being the westernmost, and northernmost state in the United States, and having the westernmost point in North America. Alaska’s Aleutian Islands stretch westward from the mainland for 1,100 miles (1,800 km). The furthest west island in the chain, Semisopochnoi, falls into the Eastern Hemisphere when defined by the 180-degree meridian. Technically, this makes the island the easternmost place in all of North America.
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Q: With a minimum width of 700 meters, what is the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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