COVID Clarified

info. numbers. sources. simple. COVID Clarified is a one-stop information hub for COVID-19.

Comment

COVID Clarified

COVID Clarified is a web app developed by participants of the HackOR 2021 hackathon to create a one-stop information hub for COVID-19, citing trusted and verified sources for every state in the US. Our mission was to increase awareness around COVID-19 topics, such as case counts, vaccine information, and best health practices.

We wanted to know how we could...

  • increase awareness about COVID guidelines, numbers, and vaccine information,
  • educate others on the science behind vaccines and health guidelines,
  • keep track of the different reopening and vaccine eligibility phases for different states and counties,
  • and help find appointments for more people to make steps towards herd immunity in the US.

Inspiration

The inspiration behind this project was to create a product for social good. We noticed that most websites that provide information on COVID-19 are dense with information and many links redirect their users to several other websites. We wanted to consolidate that information into an easy-to-digest format and to provide a concise overview of pertinent COVID-19 information, while citing sources for every piece of information for transparency and accountability.

What it does

COVID Clarified is a web app developed as a one-stop information hub for COVID-19, citing trusted and verified sources for every state in the US. Just a snapshot of the vital information provided includes case counts, vaccination numbers, frequently asked questions about vaccines, a vaccine appointment finder, links to each state's COVID-19 information page, and best masking and distancing practices.

Along with providing answers to commonly asked questions regarding COVID-19, the website also provides an interactive and educational way to view the COVID-19 virion, utilizing echoAR. By using a phone's camera to scan the QR-code, a visualization of an interactable 3d-model of a COVID-19 virion becomes available. The user is then able to also visualize different proteins and structures of the COVID-19 virion, and with the provided information, further understand the mechanism behind the virus as well as the importance of hand washing!

How we built it

We began by conducting user research using a Google Forms survey to get an idea of how people are currently receiving their news and information about COVID-19. Using the feedback we received, we were able to get a better understanding of what news sources people tend to go to, and what links and sources were most important to provide on our site.

Our team built the web application using handlebars, node.js, and CSS, based on initial sketches and wireframes built in Figma to determine site layout and branding. We then used Heroku for their cloud web hosting services.

Challenges we ran into

COVID Clarified would not be possible without the datasets that we found and gathered, from the links per state health departments to the vaccine distribution numbers to the vaccine finder resources. Finding and implementing relevant data was definitely a challenge for us. Setting up our website, while filling in data and coordinating with UX efforts, was difficult to do in just two days. Though we have a lot about COVID Clarified that can be expanded upon in the future, we wanted to be as thorough as possible with the short timeline we had.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of building the framework for the front-end and the back-end of the web application as well as putting together a draft for the UI/UX design for the website. We were then able to host the website successfully using Heroku. We also created a graph using D3.js, a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data using HTML, SVG, and CSS.

What we learned

We learned more about web development in terms of both front-end and back-end development. We also learned about coordination between web development and UI/UX design. As we worked on building our website, we also improved our programming skills by using HTML, Javascript, and CSS, as well as getting practice with frameworks such as Node and Express.

What's next for COVID Clarified

Currently COVID Clarified only supports data specific to the United States. In the future, we would love to add support for other countries and languages, to expand our mission to helping others access vital information globally.

We’re always looking for ways to improve and help people better understand the information we provide. If you have any feedback for us, please let us know!

Share this project:

Updates