SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Epidemiology Dashboards: A Review of Functionality and Technological Frameworks for the Public Health Response

Abstract

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the number and types of dashboards produced increased to convey complex information using digestible visualizations. The pandemic saw a notable increase in genomic surveillance data, which genomic epidemiology dashboards presented in an easily interpretable manner. These dashboards have the potential to increase the transparency between the scientists producing pathogen genomic data and policymakers, public health stakeholders, and the public. This scoping review discusses the data presented, functional and visual features, and the computational architecture of six publicly available SARS-CoV-2 genomic epidemiology dashboards. We found three main types of genomic epidemiology dashboards: phylogenetic, genomic surveillance, and mutational. We found that data were sourced from different databases, such as GISAID, GenBank, and specific country databases, and these dashboards were produced for specific geographic locations. The key performance indicators and visualization used were specific to the type of genomic epidemiology dashboard. The computational architecture of the dashboards was created according to the needs of the end user. The genomic surveillance of pathogens is set to become a more common tool used to track ongoing and future outbreaks, and genomic epidemiology dashboards are powerful and adaptable resources that can be used in the public health response.