To better understand the shifting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wisconsin over time, a series of data visualizations depicts the number of confirmed cases reported in each county from early March 2020, when the coronavirus started spreading in the state, to the end of November.

There are a couple key reasons for why the daily state and local health department updates about COVID-19 reports often appear different.

A historically disruptive global pandemic unfolding during an era of deep social and political divisions and widespread distrust in American institutions has led to a swift and fierce politicization of public health.

Deadly global pandemics are rare enough to motivate widespread attention when they emerge, but people around the world face the threat of seasonal influenza every year.