With the world laser-focused on tackling the novel coronavirus crisis, a slew of free resources designed to inform, empower and inspire are now available to organizations the world over. Using its most innovative technology in new ways, analytics leader SAS has developed a robust COVID-19 Data Analytics Resource Hub to help businesses and individuals across industries combat the virus, putting analytics to work where it’s needed most.

SAS’ COVID-19 Resource Hub delivers an assortment of free resources and tools, unleashing the power of analytics to counter the pandemic through its three phases of disruption: Respond, Recover and Reimagine. Explore COVID-19 insights, track the most recent global stats and – perhaps most importantly – access real COVID-19 data and advanced analytics software to uncover new trends and insights.

COVID-19 data visualization and discovery

Making real-time COVID-19 insights accessible to all, SAS enables members of the analytics community and beyond to discover and track the latest information around the pandemic with a Coronavirus Dashboard Report. This dynamic data visualization dashboard uses SAS® Visual Analytics capabilities and allows users to probe the most recent statistics via interactive charts, graphs, diagrams and more, with drill-down capabilities to depict the status, location, spread and trend analysis of cases around the globe.

For data aficionados, the new Data Discovery Environment provides free 30-day access to SAS® Viya®. Users can access dashboards, detailed reports and actual COVID-19 data consolidated from sources such as the World Health Organization, National Health Council and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Through the application, users can create robust predictive models, forecasts and reports with capabilities for machine learning, data mining, optimization, model management and more. The accompanying Data Discovery Learning Portal provides access to free training courses and videos to help users along their analytics journey and COVID-19 discovery.

And for those looking to advance their analytics skills, the online hub includes myriad flexible SAS training options for learners and professionals, such as webinars, extended Live Web course offerings and a variety of free resources, including e-books, e-learning, and 30 days of free access to SAS Learning Subscriptions and the SAS Academy for Data Science.

Strength in numbers – through analytics and partnerships

While the COVID-19 Resource Hub brings together analytics professionals worldwide to explore and collaborate, it also provides users with a plethora of valuable COVID-19-related articles and blogs as well as SAS initiatives.

Users can explore case studies to learn more about how customers and partners worldwide are using analytics to visualize, forecast and make more informed decisions to help create a better, safer present and post-COVID world. For example, Cleveland Clinic uses predictive models to help hospitals plan for current and future needs, and The Robert Koch Institute’s forecasting platform, developed in just a few days, helps track and optimize use of intensive care beds with ventilators.

“SAS has always been committed to the belief that knowledge is empowering, and the COVID-19 Resource Hub is our way to inform, enable and inspire the analytics community to make a difference,” said Scott Calderwood, Director of Digital Experience at SAS. “As people and businesses are forced to adapt, we see the power of analytics to help allocate high-demand resources, forecast impacts, track potential exposure, detect and halt fraud, and improve health. Together, we’ll get better – with better data and better decisions through analytics.”