An Analysis of COVID-19 and Poverty in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has left no corner of the United States untouched. In order to be better prepared for the reminder of the pandemic (as well as for any future pandemics) and ensure that healthcare resources are equitably allocated, epidemiologists and public health officials must work to further their understanding of who viral pandemics hit the hardest. Here, we report on descriptive and exploratory research on the impact of poverty rates and population densities of Illinois counties and counties nationwide on those counties’ COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita or per 1,000 residents (depending on the kind of analysis used). The study found the strongest correlations between poverty rates and 1) COVID-19 deaths per capita in rural counties nationwide, 2) COVID-19 deaths per capita in all counties nationwide, and 3) COVID-19 cases in non-rural counties nationwide. Overall, little to no correlation was found between poverty rates and COVID-19 cases or deaths in Illinois, though individual counties in the southeastern and central parts of the state displayed isolated correlations. By extrapolating the data to a national level, one can see that the heaviest correlations between poverty rates and COVID-19 cases and deaths occur in the American South and West, while the weakest correlations occur in the Midwest and Northeast. With Illinois serving as the focal point of our analysis, we have identified the areas of the state that would benefit most from more healthcare resources, and how the state’s COVID-19 response compares to that of other states — something both business professionals and policymakers alike can reflect on as they make decisions moving forward