A COVID-19 linked dataset has been established to allow evidence-based research, public health and health system planning for current and future pandemics. This linkage also enables selected information to be fed back and incorporated into the local notifiable disease systems of states and territories to improve data completeness and utility.
The first version of the linked data was first made available to approved researchers in December 2022. The linked data has since been updated to Version 2 and will continue to be updated as new versions of the linked data become available.
The purpose of this report is to briefly describe the linkage method and process, as well as compare high level linkage results for previous and current versions of the linked data set. This report will be a resource for future researchers wanting to use the data.
- Cat. no: PHE 328
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The AIHW has expanded the coverage of the COVID-19 linked data set to include over 6 million linked COVID-19 cases
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Linkage rates can differ slightly by jurisdictions and population groups, particularly the older age groups
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Linkage rates for Version 2 generally improved compared to Version 1 (where over 90% of records supplied are linked)
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Future versions will look at linking more recent case data and additional sources of information