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Over the past two years, dozens of organizations used Facebook's Data for Good products to improve wellbeing and save lives. Their most profound applications include disaster preparedness projects, vaccination campaigns, and effective deployment of services during times of natural disaster.

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Beginning in early April 2020, the Delphi group has conducted a major survey to track COVID-19 across the United States. With the support of Facebook Data for Good, we have been able to recruit tens... Beginning in early April 2020, the Delphi group has conducted a major survey to track COVID-19 across the United States. With the support of Facebook Data for Good, we have been able to recruit tens of thousands of active Facebook users every day to take our voluntary survey. Concurrently, a University of Maryland team has conducted a parallel international effort covering over 100 countries worldwide. Every day, we aggregate our survey results to produce estimates of symptoms for counties and states across the United States.

Symptom Map

New and Improved COVID Symptom Survey Tracks Testing and Mask-Wearing

Beginning in early April 2020, the Delphi group has conducted a major survey to track COVID-19 across the United States. With the support of Facebook Data for Good, we have been able to recruit tens of thousands of active Facebook users every day to take our voluntary survey. Concurrently, a University of Maryland team has conducted a parallel international effort covering over 100 countries worldwide. Every day, we aggregate our survey results to produce estimates of symptoms for counties and states across the United States.

As Covid-19 has spread throughout the United States, poor and minority neighborhoods have been particularly hard-hit. According to an ongoing survey of more than 10 million Facebook users, respondents... As Covid-19 has spread throughout the United States, poor and minority neighborhoods have been particularly hard-hit. According to an ongoing survey of more than 10 million Facebook users, respondents in the poorest quartile of zipcodes have been 63 percent more likely than other respondents to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Respondents in minority-majority zipcodes have tested positive at a rate 58 percent higher than respondents in zipcodes with a majority of non-Hispanic whites.

Symptom Map

Covid Disparities in the United States

As Covid-19 has spread throughout the United States, poor and minority neighborhoods have been particularly hard-hit. According to an ongoing survey of more than 10 million Facebook users, respondents in the poorest quartile of zipcodes have been 63 percent more likely than other respondents to have tested positive for the coronavirus. Respondents in minority-majority zipcodes have tested positive at a rate 58 percent higher than respondents in zipcodes with a majority of non-Hispanic whites.

The use of mobility data by the city of Syracuse from March through June, 2020, is an example of a multi-member collaboration between Harvard researchers in the COVID-19 Mobility Data Network and a... The use of mobility data by the city of Syracuse from March through June, 2020, is an example of a multi-member collaboration between Harvard researchers in the COVID-19 Mobility Data Network and a city-level data team, which was tasked with responsibilities in public health analysis despite not itself sitting within the department of health. Facebook mobility data was integrated into broader situational awareness efforts including an interactive dashboard that was made available to the mayor and others.

Disease Prevention Maps

Digital Mobility Data, Physical Distancing, and COVID-19 in Syracuse

The use of mobility data by the city of Syracuse from March through June, 2020, is an example of a multi-member collaboration between Harvard researchers in the COVID-19 Mobility Data Network and a city-level data team, which was tasked with responsibilities in public health analysis despite not itself sitting within the department of health. Facebook mobility data was integrated into broader situational awareness efforts including an interactive dashboard that was made available to the mayor and others.

The spread of SARS-COV-2 has affected many economic and social systems. This paper aims at estimating the impact on regional productive systems in Italy of the interplay between the epidemic and the... The spread of SARS-COV-2 has affected many economic and social systems. This paper aims at estimating the impact on regional productive systems in Italy of the interplay between the epidemic and the mobility restriction measures put in place to contain the contagion. We focus then on the economic consequences of alternative lockdown lifting schemes.

Disease Prevention Maps

After the lockdown: simulating mobility, public health and economic recovery scenarios

The spread of SARS-COV-2 has affected many economic and social systems. This paper aims at estimating the impact on regional productive systems in Italy of the interplay between the epidemic and the mobility restriction measures put in place to contain the contagion. We focus then on the economic consequences of alternative lockdown lifting schemes.

Hurricane Delta is set to make landfall as a Category 2 storm on the coast of Louisiana and western Mississippi on Friday, Oct. 9. This would be a serious situation under any circumstance, but for... Hurricane Delta is set to make landfall as a Category 2 storm on the coast of Louisiana and western Mississippi on Friday, Oct. 9. This would be a serious situation under any circumstance, but for those still displaced from the last major storm in this area, Hurricane Laura, which made landfall on Aug. 26, the impact is likely to be doubly hard. According to the best available estimates roughly 8,000 homes were damaged during the impact of Hurricane Laura, and many people have yet to return.

Disaster Maps

Many Displaced from Hurricane Laura Are Now in Path of Hurricane Delta

Hurricane Delta is set to make landfall as a Category 2 storm on the coast of Louisiana and western Mississippi on Friday, Oct. 9. This would be a serious situation under any circumstance, but for those still displaced from the last major storm in this area, Hurricane Laura, which made landfall on Aug. 26, the impact is likely to be doubly hard. According to the best available estimates roughly 8,000 homes were damaged during the impact of Hurricane Laura, and many people have yet to return.

This map, which looks at both Jakarta and Dar es-Salaam, shows the extent to which populated areas of these two cities have been mapped, using two open datasets: OpenStreetMap (OSM) and Facebook’s... This map, which looks at both Jakarta and Dar es-Salaam, shows the extent to which populated areas of these two cities have been mapped, using two open datasets: OpenStreetMap (OSM) and Facebook’s High Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL). These results were generated using open source tools, including GeoTrellis and VectorPipe. While this demo uses HRSL, in the near future Azavea will utilize its own machine learning model output for detecting areas that contain unmapped building, roads, railways, lakes, rivers, and forests.

Population Density Maps

Azavea Directed Mapping UI Prototype

This map, which looks at both Jakarta and Dar es-Salaam, shows the extent to which populated areas of these two cities have been mapped, using two open datasets: OpenStreetMap (OSM) and Facebook’s High Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL). These results were generated using open source tools, including GeoTrellis and VectorPipe. While this demo uses HRSL, in the near future Azavea will utilize its own machine learning model output for detecting areas that contain unmapped building, roads, railways, lakes, rivers, and forests.