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Patrick Byrne
Patrick Byrne

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COVID-19 ER Diagram

I have been tasked with creating an Entity-Relationship diagram using diagrams.net to express a conceptual model for COVID-19. My diagram is below:

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I have also included an example tuple regarding this particular diagram:

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The Entity-Relationship diagram I have created consists of three key components: entities, relationships, and attributes. The entities are designated by the rectangles. The relationships are those with a diamond shape. And their respective attributes are marked with circles. The arrows show the direction of flow for the relationships.

Patient

The patient is the center entity of the diagram, hence its positioning in the middle. The patient hosts several different attributes as well as relationships to all the other entities. Most attributes concerning the patient are biological truths, such as age and gender. The attribute of health conditions is very important to this diagram since we are concerned about COVID-19. If the patient has underlying health conditions, he or she is more at risk for contracting the virus. It is essential to know this information. Being physically active is essential in maintaining a better overall health. Being physically active means you are likely a more healthy person and have more success in fighting off viruses.

Location

The location entity relates to the patient in that the patient lives in said location. We see 5 attributes associated with this. We have the country and city/town to know where exactly the patient is living. The population of this location is important so we have an idea of the crowds you could be in contact with. COVID-19 has forced us to set certain restrictions for the general population. Every state differs in their restrictions with some being more strict than others. And the number of infected provide an idea of how potent the virus is in said location.

Hospitals

Every location has hospitals. We assign hospitals with 6 different attributes. There are many differences between hospitals in the same location that are essential to consider. The quality of a hospital and its amenities are help to find where the care will be the best and you have an enjoyable experience. The capacity of a hospital is crucial because in places where COVID-19 hit hard, the hospitals are at max capacity, meaning some of those who need care cannot receive it.

Occupation

This entity consists of 5 attributes. Where you work can greatly impact your COVID-19 related decisions. The ability to telework is great so you can work from home. And depending on your field of work, such as healthcare, you may be putting yourself and others in contact with more people.

Behavior

We have 5 attributes associated with this entity: Partying?, Going to gym?, Travelling?, Wearing a mask?, and Social distancing?. All these behaviors impact your vulnerability to COVID-19. We know wearing a mask is essential and you hurt not only yourself, but others by not following this guideline. The more you go to public places, the more people you come in contact with, so limiting your travels and parties are crucial.

Risk

This is the sixth and final entity on this diagram. We see 5 attributes associated with risk: Infection Rate, Severity, Hotspots, Family Interaction, and Number of Infected. While there are so many attributes that contribute to the risk of COVID-19, I feel these are the most important. Knowing the infection rate can help you better assess the threat to you, along with its severity. If you have been near hotspots, your risk goes up. The older aged are more at risk and if you have a lot of interaction with your extended family, you are threatening their health.

--There you have it. A rundown of my COVID-19 ER diagram. Although much more detail could be added, the key points are included and that's what I feel matters the most. Our world is very chaotic at the moment and who knows when this pandemic will end. So I ask that you follow federal guidelines and don't be stupid.--

https://youtu.be/ozmv64_X3aA

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