Could network and asset based epidemiology help the global response to COVID-19?

This article is part of a series exploring the potential for analytics professionals and open data enthusiasts from a variety of sectors to contribute to the open data aspirations of the Energy sector. AxiaOrigin is a data analytics consultancy working with UK Power Networks to facilitate open data discussion and explore the benefits for customers.

How can early warning and outbreak risk for pandemics be reflected in asset and network data from the energy sector?

We present new ideas and use cases for data sharing across industries and we want your opinion and ideas. There might be more to this than we think... 

For 10 years, scientists in the Netherlands have been routinely monitoring its waste water for illicit drugs . When COVID-19 hit, the analysis of already-collected samples showed a potentially game-changing early warning indicator for outbreak. Yes, “waste water based epidemiology” is a thing, and around 700 organisations in 100 countries are connected on a WhatsApp group to share what they're learning. 

How likely is it that electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) in the UK, like UK Power Networks, have an equivalent health opportunity to waste water collectors in Holland? We would like to invite your thoughts to help us understand how DNOs can share data to support a variety of use cases across industries and organisations.

We want to ask some specific questions aimed at our health and care sector peers to help us understand how the energy sector might support the health sector through open data.

Network and asset based epidemiology?

Network and asset based epidemiology might not be exactly what the Energy Data Taskforce had in mind in their recommendations for maximising the value of data, but what possible issue could be more urgent to explore than the use of network and asset data to help with the pandemic? 

Take London for example, which bore the early brunt of the pandemic at the beginning and experienced exponential outbreaks of the disease. Could network utilisation insights in the area, for example, from a few weeks before have helped the local health and care sector understand whether population movement was increasing, and therefore had an increased risk of virus transmission. 

Mobility and mobile phone data that represent mobility are valued by Public Health officials to help understand epidemics. Is it possible that network data might give an additional, potentially quicker indicator to understand how population movement is changing over time? Could UK Power Networks’ asset and network data potentially help local authorities and health and care stakeholders understand our customers’ needs and risks related to Covid? These are just ideas of course, but that is why we want your feedback and opinions. With real use cases, the network operator can put its data to work and unlock real benefits.

Geography applied to Public Health

What are the other accessible data and metadata types that could be shared to help the battle against Covid? For example, could a DNO’s understanding of the geography of a region contribute to analysing how the virus might spread across geographical boundaries? Could its understanding of places beyond local authority boundaries shed light on the risks between neighbours? Alternatively, can UK Power Networks’ data help protect transmission across borders, because it helps understand the use of electricity in a way that quantifies other geographical, social and economic risks?

In helping the energy sector to understand and develop some of the answers to these questions, we need the input of analytics professionals in adjacent sectors such as healthcare.

For data and analytics professionals in health and care, what questions could we help you explore if you had access to UK Power Networks’ data about…

• The network assets network operators have.
• Where those network assets are located.
• Who’s responsible for those assets.
• The capacity of those network assets.
• The level of utilisation and available capacity of those network assets.
• The level of performance and reliability of those network assets.
• Planned development on the network, what that will deliver and when.

What data could help?

For health and care sector peers, it’s highly possible that “DNO” might be an unfamiliar acronym, or that electricity network data is unlikely to be anywhere near the top of your list. However, can you tell us what UK Power Networks can do to support you by sharing open data? Maybe we can make a contribution beyond all of our expectations for the opportunity to re-use asset and network data.

For energy and utilities analysts, what are your thoughts on how we can open asset and network data in line with EDTF recommendations to help our health and care colleagues?

We welcome any and all thoughts that might further our thinking, and address any collective biases that might be influencing our perception.

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below or by emailing opendata@ukpowernetworks.co.uk