Lab #2
Published: 2020-09-07 03:53:32

Hello and welcome back to the blog.

In this week's post I will be discussing ER Diagrams and how they can be a useful tool when analyzing data. The ER Diagram (Entity Relationship) I made today is built to model one’s risk of contracting the coronavirus. I find this topic to be rather important because so much of the information we are given on the coronavirus is flooded in through biased media trying to convey their views. 

As a student of technical information and as I continue to learn how to analyze data rather than jumping to conclusions, the ER diagram becomes a useful tool to assess how different aspects of one’s life can play into contracting the virus. Below in this blog post I have embedded a video explaining the ER Diagram as well as providing some sample Touples showing how different Patients would input data. 

Even though the video spells out the different entities and how they are all interrelated, I think it would be of great benefit to provide justification as to how I chose to set up my diagram. 

Patient
Obviously the patient in question when determining risk of contraction is very important. It is crucial to understand the patient as thoroughly as possible. Age, gender, and family medical history are clearly related to how the disease might affect a person however factors like fitness level that are specific to a patient might be overlooked. 

Location
Geographic Location of the patient is a very useful way to try and weigh in on risk factors. Climate and temperature are important for considering how the virus spreads through the air. Population density and local attitude towards regulations in place are key ways to examine how much exposure a patient might face. Location also brings forth the variable of how effective the local hospital is in treating and testing for the virus. Some areas of the world might struggle in this department more than others.

Occupation
Everyone has an occupation in life whether that be student, retired worker, or 9-5 office worker. How you spend your day is important when considering how the virus might affect you. Someone who works as a construction worker outside will face different exposure compared to an 8 year old who is doing online class. Travel is also an important part of how your risk of contraction might increase. Staying home is clearly the best option however it might not be possible to do so. 

Social Behavior
Lifestyle of the patient is arguably the most important factor to consider. If a patient chooses to go out and be in contact with others, they must also consider what consequences this will bring. Eating healthy food and getting enough exercise is crucial to try and limit the risk one might inherit. 

Conclusion
Overall it is important to consider such a wide variety of variables when considering how great a patient’s risk of contracting the virus is. Using data and technical thinking is the best approach compared to reading into headlines that might not apply to you. The ER Diagram works as a tool to consider multiple patients and set predetermined bias aside. 

Thanks for tuning in to this week's post. Stay tuned for next week as I look to build upon this knowledge and refine this model. 

![Screen Shot 2020-09-06 at 11.06.55 PM](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/x07l9c7c54mu1eqeugyt.png)
 

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