Association Between State-Level Income Inequality and COVID-19 Cases and Mortality in the USA

Excerpt

COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in the largest pandemic in 100 years. The USA has been particularly impacted, reporting a third of the cases and a quarter of the deaths worldwide. In recent weeks, the unequal impact of COVID-19 across communities has become glaringly apparent. Data from New York and Chicago indicate that African American and Hispanic people experience disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 infection and mortality.^{1, 2} Inequality may compound these disparities further through economic segregation, decreased social mobility, and lower access to medical care.³ Given that low-income individuals are more likely to be in essential occupations with a high exposure risk and have less access to healthcare, income inequality may exacerbate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. …