The Institute of State and Regional Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg has released a report to help guide strategic planning in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Pennsylvania. The report compares counties in Pennsylvania based on medical risk factors relating to COVID-19. The institute found that the three Pennsylvania counties with the highest relative risk, Sullivan, Northumberland and Juniata, are not yet showing high rates of infection.
“Efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania have been strong and grounded in the best available evidence. This analysis provides new information that may aid strategic efforts to promote the health and safety of communities at greatest risk,” said Institute Director Philip Sirinides.
Rather than mapping current hot spots of COVID-19, this report’s purpose is to highlight areas where the outcomes from COVID-19 may be more severe. To highlight which Pennsylvania counties have the most vulnerable populations, the institute collected data relating to age, prevalence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, available hospital staff and beds, and nursing home populations, all factors associated with COVID-19 risk identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click here to read the report on medical risk and COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.