Coronavirus reported cases/deaths pattern (why fewer on weekends?)

[JT Smith]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but why are there fewer reported Covid-19 cases and deaths on weekends?

 

[berkeman]

Can you post a link to the data you are looking at? I don't necessarily see that trend on my EMS Dashboard for Santa Clara County in Northern California...

https://www.sccgov.org/sites/covid19/Pages/dashboard.aspx

 

[gleem]

I noticed it too. One thought is that during the weekend there are fewer administrative staff members to process patient info so it all piles up and takes several days for them to work through it and send it to the registry.

EDIT: Hospitals usually only have essential patient care, security, or housekeeping personnel on weekends. Regular outpatient services are closed. Non patient care departments like human resources, engineering/maintenance and especially the patient record department are closed or only on call so some things are put off until Monday.

 

[JT Smith]

Can you post a link to the data you are looking at? I don't necessarily see that trend on my EMS Dashboard for Santa Clara County in Northern California...

It's certainly more difficult to discern that pattern in the graph you posted.

I can see it in the world daily totals posted below as well U.S. daily totals.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/worldwide-graphs/#daily-cases

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/worldwide-graphs/#daily-deaths



(from washingtonpost.com)

 

[JT Smith]

I noticed it too. One thought is that during the weekend there are fewer administrative staff members to process patient info so it all piles up and takes several days for them to work through it and send it to the registry.

EDIT: Hospitals usually only have essential patient care, security, or housekeeping personnel on weekends. Regular outpatient services are closed. Non patient care departments like human resources, engineering/maintenance and especially the patient record department are closed or only on call so some things are put off until Monday.

That makes sense. Thanks.

EDIT: Although if it were up to me I'd tag the incidents with the date of occurrence instead of the date the data were entered.