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Review
. 2022 Sep:40:100612.
doi: 10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100612. Epub 2022 Jul 20.

The challenges of data in future pandemics

Nigel Shadbolt  1 , Alys Brett  2 , Min Chen  3 , Glenn Marion  4 , Iain J McKendrick  4 , Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths  5 , Lorenzo Pellis  6 , Richard Reeve  7 , Ben Swallow  8
Affiliations
Review

The challenges of data in future pandemics

Nigel Shadbolt et al. Epidemics. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

The use of data has been essential throughout the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. We have needed it to populate our models, inform our understanding, and shape our responses to the disease. However, data has not always been easy to find and access, it has varied in quality and coverage, been difficult to reuse or repurpose. This paper reviews these and other challenges and recommends steps to develop a data ecosystem better able to deal with future pandemics by better supporting preparedness, prevention, detection and response.

Keywords: COVID-19; Data and models; Data ecosystem; Data lifecycles; FAIR data; Pandemic preparedness.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Key components and dependencies in data ecosystems for combating infectious diseases. The FAIR data principles (Section 2) should underpin any data ecosystem. Data-model-policy lifecycles (Section 4) are at the heart of a data ecosystem, while data platforms (Section 3), data skills (Section 5), and data institutions (Section 6) represent the physical, personal, and organisational entities of data ecosystems. Data policies (Section 7), which are formulated by data institutions, should embody the FAIR data principles and govern data ecosystems.
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