Spiral graph to show Covid-19 cases

This spiralized chart by Gus Wezerek and Sara Chodosh for NYT Opinion has sparked discussions on what it means to communicate data. A lot of people don’t like it. I’m gathering my thoughts, but I think it’s fine for two main reasons: (1) it’s a lead-in to an opinion piece and (2) it’s not trying to replace the straight-up linear views that we’ve grown uncomfortably familiar with over two-plus years.

Chart Type Used

Spiral Chart