March 31, 2021

COVID-19 Case and Mortality Rates in the Federal Bureau of Prisons

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Clinical Characteristics and Health Care Setting

Keywords (Tags): congregate settings

• A study of COVID-19 in US Federal Prisons found that both the case rate and mortality was higher among inmates in these facilities compared to the general population. The crude case rate (11,710 per 100,000 population) was 5-times higher than that in the general population and the age- and sex-adjusted mortality rate for COVID-19 (77.4 per 100,000 population) was 2.5-times higher. The infection fatality ratio was equal to that of the US general population (0.7%). However, nearly 50% of inmates in federal prisons were tested, which likely resulted in a greater detection of asymptomatic infections. The authors speculate that the higher mortality rate may reflect higher rates of underlying health conditions among inmates.

Toblin and Hagan. (Feb 2021). COVID-19 Case and Mortality Rates in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.01.019