Biological & Public Health
Biological Dashboard Card Explained
The Biological card summarizes selected public-health surveillance signals such as wastewater, respiratory illness, hospital admissions, and emergency-department activity when available.
Quick read
- Useful for
- Public-health surveillance can show broad trends, but it is delayed, aggregated, and not medical advice for individuals.
- Watch
- Status label, signal count, source confidence, wastewater or respiratory activity, reporting cadence, and coverage notes.
- Confirm with
- CDC Wastewater Viral Activity Levels and CDC Respiratory Illnesses
- Remember
- Surveillance data can lag by days or weeks and coverage varies by state and dataset.
What the card summarizes
The Biological card condenses public surveillance datasets into a plain dashboard status. It may include wastewater viral activity, respiratory illness, emergency department, or hospital-admission context depending on what source snapshots are available.
The purpose is to show broad public-health context that may affect readiness routines, not to diagnose illness or recommend treatment.
Visible metrics in plain English
- Status label: a simplified interpretation of available surveillance context.
- Signal count or active indicators: how many source indicators are contributing to the current card state.
- Source confidence: whether HazardNow has enough recent public data to display the card with context.
- Coverage notes: reminders that state, regional, and national data may not represent every community.
Limitations and official verification
- Public-health datasets have reporting delays and revisions.
- Wastewater and hospital metrics are aggregated and not individual risk scores.
- Verify recommendations through CDC, state and local health departments, and healthcare professionals.
Visual reference
Biological card signal map
Read the signal as one layer in a larger source stack, not as a standalone instruction.
Official/public sources
Use these links to verify current source text, update timing, and agency caveats.
FAQ
Is the Biological card medical advice?
No. It is informational public-health surveillance context only. Consult public-health agencies and healthcare professionals for guidance.