CSV and JSON data describing the quantity and content of uploads to Thingiverse for 2015-2020

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected various aspects of daily life, particularly the supply and demand of essential goods, resulting in critical shortages. This included personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical professionals and the general public. To address these shortages, online "maker communities" emerged, aiming to develop and locally manufacture critical products. While some organized efforts existed, the majority of initiatives originated from individuals and groups on platforms like Thingiverse. This paper presents a longitudinal analysis of Thingiverse, one of the largest maker community websites, to examine the pandemic's effects. Our findings reveal a surge in community output during the initial lockdown periods in major contributing nations (primarily those in the western-hemisphere), followed by a subsequent decline. Additionally, throughout 2020, pandemic-related products dominated uploads and interactions during this period. Based on these observations, we propose recommendations to expedite the community's ability to support local, national, and international responses to future disasters.