In the News: Yue Sun

This brief summarizes the results of a recent study examining how U.S. states’ COVID-19 policies were related to COVID-19 mortality rates from April to December 2020. 

 It finds that rural counties with higher ADS density have higher older adult vaccination rates.

A research study on COVID vaccination rates co-authored by Professor Shannon Monnat and Ph.D. student Yue Sun was cited in the New York Times article, "In Rural America, COVID Hits Black and Hispanic People Hardest."

This data slice shows that third places are not evenly distributed across the U.S.

Now, higher COVID-19 mortality rates in rural areas threaten to exacerbate the existing rural mortality penalty.

This brief examines geographic trends in COVID-19 vaccination rates for adults age 65+. 

This brief compares COVID-19 vaccination rates across the U.S. rural-urban continuum and identifies the major contributors to lower rates of vaccination in rural counties.

COVID-19 mortality risk is not distributed equally across the U.S. Among rural counties, the average daily increase in COVID-19 mortality rates has been significantly higher in counties with the largest percentages of Black and Hispanic residents.

Residents of Ohio's most rural counties are at high risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19.

COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania have been concentrated in eastern urban counties this far. However, the 14-day incident rate has recently begun increasing in several rural counties that have high prevalence of several chronic health conditions that increase risk of severe complications and death from COVID-19.

As New York’s regions move through their various phases of reopening businesses and recreations activities, policymakers and residents should be mindful of the underlying health vulnerabilities and the higher COVID-19 mortality risk in several of NY’s rural counties. Is your county at high risk?