Understanding social risk factors of county-level disparities in COVID-19 tests per confirmed case in South Carolina using statewide electronic health records data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

COVID-19 testing is essential for pandemic control, and insufficient testing in areas with high disease burdens could magnify the risk of poor health outcomes. However, few area-based studies on COVID-19 testing disparities have considered the disease burden (e.g., confirmed cases). The current study aims to investigate socioeconomic drivers of geospatial disparities in COVID-19 testing relative to disease burden across 46 counties in South Carolina (SC) in the early (from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020) and later (from July 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021) phases of the pandemic.

Methods

Using SC statewide COVID-19 testing data, the COVID-19 testing coverage was measured by monthly COVID-19 tests per confirmed case (hereafter CTPC) in each county. We used modifie

SUBMITTER: Shi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10617158 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature