When Curtis Kim saw a lack of exact numbers to do with the COVID-19 virus from large news organizations, he decided to create covid-19canada.com. The website includes contact information and consistently updated numbers on provincial and international confirmed cases.
Kim developed the website using his acquired skills from graduating from BCIT’s Computer Systems Technology program in the Cloud Computing Option. He gathers his COVID-19 data from the Government of Canada website, World Health Organization (WHO), Johns Hopkins University, and local news stations.
Since the virus has occurred, Kim has been concerned with the speed of the spread of COVID-19. He was continually trying to find exact numbers confirmed in Vancouver, Canada, and the rest of the world, but found it hard to navigate through ‘unconfirmed’ cases in the media.
“I felt like I was wasting time searching repeatedly; that’s why I thought I could make one platform with all the data together,” says Kim. “So, I thought I could create a one-page platform that has all the information: numbers, other countries, latest news, maps, and basic information.”
He built his website with readability in mind and hopes it will help people understand more easily by using numbers. Kim updates the site four times a day—morning, mid-day, afternoon, and midnight—and tries to keep up with outbreak news.
Although reliable, it may have its flaws. “Sometimes, [they] have their internal errors as well, so I can’t guarantee my data is accurate. My focus is on the Canadian data—I’m still struggling with making all accurate information real-time, especially local data based on city and province,” says Kim.
Like all of us, Kim hopes that this global pandemic improves soon.