Racial Segregation, Testing Site Access, and COVID-19 Incidence Rate in Massachusetts, USA

• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17249528
• Publication Date: 2020-12-21T06:01:08Z
• Authors: Tao Hu; Han Yue; Changzhen Wang; Bing She; Xinyue Ye; Regina Liu; Xinyan Zhu; Weihe Wendy Guan; Shuming Bao
• Keywords: 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Pandemic

The U.S. has merely 4% of the world population, but contains 25% world’s COVID-19 cases. Since outbreak in U.S., Massachusetts been leading other states total number Racial residential segregation is a fundamental cause racial disparities health. Moreover, access to health care have large impact on Thus, this study estimates and testing site employs economic, demographic, transportation variables at city/town level Massachusetts. Spatial regression models are applied evaluate relationships between incidence rate related variables. This first apply spatial analysis methods across neighborhoods examine rate. findings are: (1) Residential segregations Hispanic Non-Hispanic Black/African Americans significantly positive association with rate, indicating higher susceptibility infections among minority groups. (2) shortest drive time sites, followed by Hispanic, Asians, Whites. sites negatively associated implying importance accessibility all populations. (3) Poverty road density significant explanatory Importantly, overcrowding represented more than one person per room variable found be positively suggesting effectiveness social distancing for reducing infection. (4) Different from previous studies, elderly population not statistically correlated because less distributed hotspot regions infections. provide useful insights policymakers propose new strategies contain transmissions