Central Coast data analyst Patrick Spedding is concerned about the lack of information available regarding COVID-19 hot spots and is using his considerable experience to do something about it.
“The details we are getting from Central Coast Health are not really very informative,” he said.
“A couple of weeks ago we were just getting numbers of diagnosed coronavirus cases for the entire Central Coast – and it’s a very big region.
“Recently things have been getting a little better, with the authorities releasing numbers by postcode, but even then, some of our postcodes cover a great many people and very extensive areas.
“There is a lot of misinformation about and people are worried.
“For example, there has been some talk of a hot spot in Gosford, but media spin can be deceptive.
“Saying Gosford is too broad a description.”
Spedding has been using his skills to map areas on the Coast with respect to coronavirus diagnoses.
“I’ve been using Census numbers and blending them with some of the data available so we can provide more information on what is going on is specific suburbs per head of population” he said.
“We have found there were more cases in Avoca and Kincumber than in Gosford, for example.”
Spedding said he was pushing NSW Health to release more specific data.
“If we can get (information) at a suburb level it would be more informative and useful in deciding which areas to avoid,” he said.
“It would allow people to make more informed choices.”
Like many businesspeople on the Coast, Spedding has been adapting his data analytics business to suit the current climate.
“I have been talking with other people working in the same space and we are all finding that the work is drying up,” he said.
“Projects are being put on hold and many businesses are having to adapt.
“I am helping companies with advice on how to reposition their offerings, discovering how we can use data to help them pivot their offerings to be more online and streaming based.
“It is a challenge but can also be an opportunity for businesses building a revenue model around that service.”
Spedding has set up a website with his latest mapping on COVID-19 cases.
“It is constantly evolving as I think of different ways to provide insight and comparisons between suburbs,” he said.
“We can protect privacy and at the same time inform the public so we can reduce some of the panic we are seeing, particularly in this region.
“As we say in business if you don’t measure it you can’t manage it.”
You can see Spedding’s latest mapping at : https://public.tableau.com/profile/see.change.solutions#!/vizhome/CentralCoastNSW-COVID19Data/NSWCovID_19Cases
Source: Interview, Apr 7, 2020 – Data analyst, Patrick Spedding. Reporter: Terry Collins