Hong Kong’s new online COVID-19 hotspot map is out, providing a visual visualization of the dynamic and real-time geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases in the city.
The interactive map was developed by a research team led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), along with the University of Macau and the University of Hong Kong.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The map presents data on the entire territory of COVID-19 cases. Its real-time data comes from the Hong Kong government-run Interactive Map Dashboard.
It shows the infection risks in different locations according to the color scheme from purple for the lowest risk to red for the highest risk. The evolving risk level in each location is represented by the dynamic movement of color swatches on the map.
Additionally, users can zoom in or out to browse COVID-19 risk levels at broader or more geographically specific sites.
Color image of COVID-19 risk levels based on calculation and automatic, real-time update of infection case data using a computational engine for spatial-temporal data analysis called Kernel Density Visualization (KDV).
Using new calculation methods, the resolution of hotspot maps can be increased to high definition resolution (1376 x 960 pixels). It can also process a million data points in a response time of less than 0.5 seconds.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
Having timely and accurate information on the geographic distribution of COVID-19 cases is key to implementing effective infection control measures, as well as allocating health resources to combat them. epidemic. This information is also helpful to the public in understanding health risks.
Therefore, developing a system that can update and process high-resolution images in a timely manner is also important in this endeavor. However, many existing visualization software tools cannot support high-resolution KDV with million-scale datasets. Furthermore, current KDV calculation methods cannot normally support real-time animation generation.
To address this need, the research team developed new computational methods to enhance the shaping capabilities of KDV. Tests with these new methods have shown response times 100 times faster than most existing advanced methods.
TREND TO BIGGER
The launch of the COVID-19 interactive map comes as Hong Kong has seen an increase in the number of daily cases over the past two weeks, surpassing the 8,000 mark from the previous 5,000. The city recently eased social distancing protocols in an effort to further reopen the economy.
In August, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology announced The CovidInArea mobile app also visualizes COVID-19 risks. It uses open data from the Department of Health to create real-time heat maps of places where COVID-19 cases have been reported. Available on both Android and iOS devices, the app runs automated checks of COVID-19 hotspots by providing real-time GPS support. No user registration is required to access mobile maps and no personal information is collected.
ON PROFILE
“Newly developed algorithms and solutions can support more KDV-based geospatial analysis tasks. With their application, the functions of the COVID-19 Hotspot Map in Hong Kong has been significantly improved, making it a useful tool for monitoring the risks of COVID-19 in Xu Jianliang, lead researcher, professor and dean of the Department of Computer Science at HKBU , it can assist health authorities as well as individual citizens in coming up with effective, informed measures to combat the pandemic.
The team is also looking to apply new computational methods to KDV in traffic hotspot detection, crowd control at tourist attractions, visual analysis of real estate prices, and real-time resource management. real-time weather.
