COVID-19 - New and Total cases, deaths and recovered

This is a sample template of a Form that can be used to collect information about the numbers of new COVID-19 cases, new deaths and new recovered cases per day and at the same time calculate the total numbers for these per day. This especially applies if multiple users from different institutions report at different times of the day for the same day.

In this example, we will use a Reference Form to collect all the medical institutions and their geographical location in one place to make sure that all users reporting use the same names for the medical institutions. Then, we will add a Form with a Subform to collect data per institution. We will link the Form to the Reference Form.

With the Subform we will collect daily numbers of new cases, new deaths and recovered cases. Then, in the Parent Form we will sum up the numbers reported in the Subform per day and per institution using Calculated fields.

You can use the Form and Subform Schema below to directly import the fields to a new Form and Subform and save time. You can also duplicate a Form to quickly create similar Forms if needed.

The example uses dummy data.

Add a Reference Form

To make sure that all users reporting use the same names for the medical institutions, you can create a Reference Form with a Text field and add all the medical institutions of your country as Records.

By making that Text field a Key field you can then refer to it in your Form and users will be able to select from the list of available institutions the institutions for which they report. In the Reference Form you can also reference ActivityInfo’s built-in Geodatabase to link each institution to a geographical location.

  • In the Database Design section, click on 'Add form' to add a Form.
  • Give a name to your Form and add a Reference field to reference the Geodatabase of ActivityInfo and a Text field for the name of the institution.
  • Make the Text field a Key field so as to link to it in the next Form.
  • Save the Form.
  • In the Table View page, click on 'Add record' and add the first institution of your country. Click on 'Save record' to save it.
  • Repeat the same process to add all the medical institutions. If you have a list of institutions available you can import them as Records to this Form.
  • On the URL of the Table View page you can view the Form Id of this Form. If you want to import a fields list instead of designing a Form using the Form Schemas in the end of the article, you will need to use this Id. 

You can change the visibility settings of the Form to Reference data to make sure users doing data entry don't get confused with it.

Add a Form

The Parent Form will link to the list of medical institutions. Users will be able to select the institution for which they are reporting from the list. It will also use a Date field to collect daily information.

The Subform will include Quantity fields with Codes for the numbers of new cases, new deaths and recovered cases.

Codes will allow us to go back to the Parent Form and add Calculated fields with Formulas which will calculate totals based on the numbers added to the Subform.

  • In the Database Design section, click on 'Add form' to add another Form.
  • Give a name to the Form and add a Reference field. Select the Reference Form that you created in the previous step. Make that field a Key field. By making this field a Key field you prevent users from adding duplicate Records and ensure they will add all data related to the selected institution in the same place.
  • Add a Date field and make it a Key field. By making this field a Key field you prevent users from adding duplicate Records for the added date and you can also add a Lock for a reporting period that includes this date.
  • Add a Subform field and give it a descriptive name.
Add a Subform

We will add a Subform to collect information about the numbers of new cases, new deaths and recovered cases.

  • Click on the Subform to open it.
  • Add 3 Quantity fields with Codes:
    • Label: Number of new infected- Code:NI- Unit: persons
    • Label: Number of new deaths - Code: ND- Unit: persons
    • Label: Number of new recovered - Code:NR- Unit: persons
  • Save the Subform. We will continue adding fields in the Parent Form.

You can add additional Quantity fields with Codes to count the number of tests performed by gender, the number of positive test results by gender and the number of negative results by gender.

You can add Section headers to make the Subform easier to navigate.

Add Calculated fields in the Parent Form

In the Parent Form, add 3 Calculated fields with Formulas:

  • Label: Total new infected today - Formula: sum(NI)
  • Label: Total new deaths today - Formula: sum(ND)
  • Label: Total new recovered today - Formula: sum(NR)

These Calculated fields will sum up the numbers of the Subform to give as a result:

  • the total number of new infected people for that day for that institution
  • the total number of new deceased people for that day for that institution
  • the total number of new recovered people for that day for that institution
  • Save the Form.
Form Schemas

Instead of manually designing the Form and the Subform,  you can directly import the fields list to your Form. The following files contain the fields list for the Form and the Subform. As this is a sample Form, you might need different fields so can add new fields, edit fields or delete the fields that you don't need to customize the Form. The Form links to a Reference Form with a Reference field to include a list with all the medical institutions, so make sure you add a Reference Form first, as described in the first step.

As the Form includes Calculated fields based on fields of the Subform, you will need to import the fields in three steps.

  • To import the first fields list to the Form, add a new Form and give it a name.
  • Then, download and open the first file which includes the first part of the Parent Form. You need to find the Reference Form Id of the Reference Form from step one and add it the cell in the Row 'reference', Column 'Referenced Form'. You can find the Form Id in the URL of the Table View page of the Reference Form.
  • Copy the cells along with their Headers.
  • In the Form Design page, open the fields palette of the Form and click on "Paste field list from spreadsheet". Paste the cells and click on "Add fields" to add them.
  • Continue with the Subform. To import the fields list to the Subform, click on the Subform to open it. 
  • Download the second file and copy all the cells along with their Headers.
  • As before, open the fields palette of the Subform and click on "Paste field list from spreadsheet". 
  • Paste the cells and click on "Add fields" to add them.
  • Save the Subform to go back to the Parent Form.
  • Finally, in the Parent Form, we will add the rest of the fields.
  • Download the third file which contains the second part of the Parent Form with the Calculated fields, open it and copy all the cells along with their Headers.
  • As before, open the fields palette of the Parent Form and click on "Paste field list from spreadsheet". 
  • Paste the cells and click on "Add fields" to add them.
  • Save the Form.
COVID-19_New_Cases__Deaths__Recovered_-Parent_Form_first_part.csv
Daily_numbers_-_Subform.csv
COVID-19_New_Cases__Deaths__Recovered_-Parent_Form_second_part.csv