As the United States enters its third month fighting the coronavirus pandemic, between 20,000 and 30,000 new cases have been diagnosed every day since the start of May. Even as data` remains highly limited, trends are beginning to emerge about which groups and parts of the United States are being hit the hardest — by the disease as well as economically.
Testing rates vary considerably between states and counties, making it difficult to assess the impact of the coronavirus on certain communities. In order to attempt to identify at-risk communities, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the counties and county equivalent geographies that rank as the most vulnerable in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index. The index uses data from 2018 to measure the ability of communities to prevent human suffering and financial loss when confronted with disasters or disease outbreaks.