COVID Curves

By: Ethan Jasny (Grade 11)

Explore the possible permutations of the coronavirus pandemic through totally scientifically accurate charts (*satire)

In recent weeks, there has been much talk about the prospect of reopening various sectors of the economy as BC appears to be flattening its coronavirus curve. That being said, scientists believe that it is very possible that the coronavirus will be with us long into the future. To help us map out the future of the pandemic and to understand when (or if) it may be over, here are some graphs and charts tracking the progress of the virus which are 100%¹ scientifically and statistically accurate. 

This first graph shows the number of cases in September, 2019 versus the number of cases in June, 2020. Clearly, there has been significant growth in the virus as the number of cases has escalated from zero to a lot more than zero. 

In this second graph, this data is extrapolated into a line graph to better understand the massive growth of the virus. As you can see, the number of cases has grown by an astonishing ∞ %² since last September.

One of the countries that has been hit the hardest by the pandemic is our southern neighbor, the United States. It is however important to note that not every place in the country has been hit equally. This map shows which American states have reported COVID-19 cases.

What an excellent geographical perspective! But the impacts of the pandemic have not only been health-related; there have also been significant cultural changes. For example, there has also been a significant increase in the use of puns with the word “quarantine,” as demonstrated in the chart below.

It still remains unclear to both statisticians and sociologists as to why this type of pun has increased in usage. There has also been increased interest in the video conferencing app Zoom, as proven through this graph showing Zoom popularity (measured in the total number of people who know what Zoom is).

Finally, here is a graph modelling the potential future of the pandemic, but it’s pretty self-explanatory, so I won’t go into much detail.

I hope that these charts have helped you understand the math and science behind the COVID-19 pandemic. And remember, if it’s in a chart, it’s true.