Geography professor Steven Graves said he hopes to get a better grasp on how the virus is impacting people at the local level.
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He has also created maps that track COVID-19 county-by-county at the national level -- something that he says gives the numbers context.
His map can be viewed here.
The map shows there are cases all throughout the county, from Santa Clarita to Carson to La Verne. Some of the areas with higher concentrations naturally are those with higher population densities, such as the communities from the Westside to downtown Los Angeles.
A similar map of the United States is available here.
"There are some places in the United States that have much smaller numbers, but have much smaller populations. so their rate is double, triple or even 20 times greater than ours," Graves said.
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Graves said he created the maps because other maps he saw didn't provide a sufficient level of detail. He acknowledged that a lot of the national data being collected may have flaws at this early stage.
"We don't really know how good the data tracking those with the coronavirus is," Graves said in a CSUN statement. "Everyone is doing the best they can. But once the rate at which people are being tested improves, then we will have a better picture of what is going on."
"Right now, our maps are creating a foundation on which we will eventually create a better picture of what is going on in the country, county by county."