Analyzing county-wide trends in Tennessee Covid-19 rates, Median Household Income, and Presence of Hospital

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths and infections worldwide. Recent studies suggest that Covid-19 may be disproportionately affecting certain groups. The Tennessee Department of Health regularly publishes data on Covid infections and vaccinations. This data alongside data published from the 2010 census was used to analyze trends in Covid-19 rates for the State of Tennessee. The census data for the average household income of each county was cross-referenced with the covid data. A positive correlation between population of the county and the number of new cases reported on January 3rd, 2022, appeared when observing the data. A regression analysis (ANOVA) revealed that the data on population and covid rate was significant (P-value: 2.69E-10). The results from comparing the covid rates in a county with a hospital and a county without a hospital seemed to be the most significant. The data reported by the Sycamore institute on the Tennessee counties without a hospital was used to identify trends unique to these counties. The counties lacking a hospital were compared with counties with a similar population. 7 hospital-less counties were used for comparison, 6 counties (Fayette, Grainger, Haywood, Chester, Sequatchie, Clay) reported a greater number of cases than counties of a similar population. Of the 20 counties lacking a hospital, 16 fell within the bottom 50% of median household incomes, with 9 in the bottom 25% and 4 in the bottom 10%. Healthcare sites in rural areas may lack fundamental infrastructure. These areas may require unique interventions to address the healthcare concerns present.