Visualizing the swath cut by COVID

By Ned Daly

I have long understood that numbers are only really useful when placed in context. As I saw the Massachusetts death toll from Covid 19 growing to almost 17,000 persons recently, I sought to put this number in a context I could grasp.

The current reported death toll is the equivalent of every single person in the following Massachusetts towns.

Alford 431
Becket 1,941
Blandford 1,105
Charlemont 1,086
Cummington 845
Florida 808
Hawley 370
Heath 746
Middlefield 408
Monroe 87
New Ashford 299
Otis 1,393
Peru 823
Plainfield 661
Rowe 441
Sandisfield 891
Savoy 680
Tolland 530
Tyringham 474
Washington 502
Windsor 862
Worthington 1,33

TOTAL — 16,721

As can be seen in the accompanying map, this would be a swath running from Vermont to Connecticut.

Source: Mass. Secretary of State. Map by Ned Daly with graphic assistance from Nan Daly

This project was inspired by the master of data visualization, Prof. Edward Tufte, who maintains that almost always, the best question we can ask is: “Compared to what?”

If you live in another state, you might try compiling your own “COVID swath” through your state.