Evaluating COVID-19 Disparities in Georgia
Evaluating COVID-19 Disparities in Georgia
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgia Health Policy Center analyzed COVID-19 epidemiologic and vaccination data to assess the pandemic’s evolving impact on rural residents. In addition to tracking overall COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths by rural status, researchers identified the top 15 rural counties and top 15 urban counties by racial composition (Black, Hispanic, and white) and examined deaths from COVID-19, chronic conditions (heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer and obesity), and social drivers of health (graduation rates, unemployment, and poverty). Analysis explored patterns of disparities across race/ethnicity and geographic settings in Georgia, and potential explanations for these disparities in the context of structural racism in the United States.