HOUSTON – Health officials in Harris County, including the city of Houston, have released a map broken down by ZIP code that shows where coronavirus cases have been reported. However, officials said the map might have an inherent bias.
The map is a collaboration with Harris County Public Health and the Houston Health Department.
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Dr. David Persse, the health authority for Houston, said that while the map is accurate based on the data collected, it could contain a bias in relation to the location of a testing site. He said the farther away from a testing site someone is, the less likely they are to get tested.
Persse also said that results displayed in the heat map can fluctuate from one day to the next as more testing is being done.
“Heat maps are a slice in time,” Persse said.
Persse also stressed that everyone has an equal chance of getting infected with COVID-19, so ZIP codes aren’t really that important.
“It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you live in,” Persse said.
Officials said the map aims to help authorities to better understand where more testing for the virus might be necessary.
Officials also released this list of cases by jurisdictions in Harris County. Click here to view it.
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