Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

December 15, 2020

Asynchrony Between Individual and Government Actions Accounts for Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Communities

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Mobility data across 1,124 US counties show that individuals began to socially distance at a median of 5 days (IQR=3-8) after 10 cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases in their state, but at a median of 12 days (IQR=8-17) before state governments issued stay-at-home orders (SAHOs). Using SAHO dates as a proxy for social distancing accounts for only 55% of the true impact of social distancing when compared with estimates using mobility. Delays in social distancing were found to be associated with county-level sociodemographic characteristics, including proportion of people without a high school diploma and proportion of racial and ethnic minorities.

Abdalla et al. (Nov 13, 2020). Asynchrony Between Individual and Government Actions Accounts for Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Communities. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.10.012