Investigation of Inequities and Underlying Conditions in COVID-19 Outcomes in Georgia

Emory Team Members: Dr. Shivani Patel, Dr. Umedjon Ibragimov, Dr. Alyasah Sewell, Dr. Hannah Cooper, Dr. Monique Smith, Sanjana Pampati, Forrest Brady, Kassianna Politis, Jing Zhang, Pooja Naik

GDPH Team Members: Dr. Laura Edison, Michael Thomas, Dr. Michael Brown

COVID-19 is one of the most urgent public health problems in the state of Georgia, with more than 5,700 deaths and 25,000 hospitalizations reported in the state as of September 2, 2020. Mounting a successful local response to the pandemic requires a thorough analysis of public health data at the state and county levels, including examining COVID-19 inequities across sociodemographic groups. 

Responding to the request of Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH), this project will:

  1. investigate the racial/ethnic and gender disparities in COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths;
  2. assess possible linkages between pre-existing chronic diseases and severe outcomes among confirmed cases;
  3. describe the COVID-19 epidemiolocal situation at a county level focusing at sociodemographic disparities. 

The project will create:

  1. a COVID-19 health equity report for the state of Georgia;
  2. a report on medical vulnerability and COVID-19 in Georgia;
  3. an interactive dashboard accessible by general public detailing county-level epidemiology of COVID-19 with an equity focus;
  4. a summary report on race disparities in COVID-19 deaths.

As the result, the state and local public health authorities will receive a detailed breakdown of COVID-19 data, including racial/ethnic disparities at the state and county levels, while general public will be able to access and review various aspects of local situation with COVID-19, including breakdown by race/ethnic groups, online in layperson-friendly format. These analyses will help the authorities and the public to better understand the pandemic and to address social disparities in COVID-19 cases and outcomes.

 

The Georgia COVID-19 Health Equity Interactive Dashboard seeks to fill gaps in county-level data about the virus and underlying social determinants of health. The goal is to facilitate easy comparisons of counties with respect to COVID-19 outcomes and social determinants. For information regarding national and other regional COVID-19 outcomes, visit the COVID-19 Health Equity Interactive Dashboard.