Half of Rural Residents at High Risk of Serious Illness Due to COVID-19, Creating Stress on Rural Hospitals
Half of Rural Residents at High Risk of Serious Illness Due to COVID-19, Creating Stress on Rural Hospitals
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DOI：
10.1111/jrh.12481
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发表时间：
2020-06-30
影响因子：
4.9
通讯作者：
Holmes, G. Mark
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Kaufman, Brystana G.;Whitaker, Rebecca;Holmes, G. Mark
在COVID-19疫情期间，了解农村地区的医院护理需求如何与各州的能力保持一致至关重要。方法我们分析了2018年行为风险因素监测系统的数据，以估计每个州的大城市、小城市和农村地区感染冠状病毒后患严重疾病风险升高的成年人数量。研究数据包括430，949份调查问卷，代表超过2.552亿非机构化美国成年人。对于医院床位的数据，汇总调查数据与2017年按州和大都市状态划分的地区卫生资源文件的数据相关联。如果农村居民感染COVID-19，约50%的农村居民面临住院和严重疾病的高风险，而在小城市和大城市地区，这一比例分别为46. 9%和40. 0%。在19个州，超过50%的农村人口如果被感染，将面临严重疾病的高风险。在感染率相同的情况下，农村居民的人均COVID-19住院率估计将比城市居民高出10%。结论超过一半的农村居民如果感染COVID-19，住院和死亡的风险会增加。专家预计，全国各地的COVID-19负担将超过医院的能力，农村地区也不例外。政策制定者需要考虑供应链调整、监管变化和财政援助政策，以帮助农村社区照顾受COVID-19影响的人群。
Purpose During the COVID-19 epidemic, it is critical to understand how the need for hospital care in rural areas aligns with the capacity across states. Methods We analyzed data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate the number of adults who have an elevated risk of serious illness if they are infected with coronavirus in metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas for each state. Study data included 430,949 survey responses representing over 255.2 million noninstitutionalized US adults. For data on hospital beds, aggregate survey data were linked to data from the 2017 Area Health Resource Files by state and metropolitan status. Findings About 50% of rural residents are at high risk for hospitalization and serious illness if they are infected with COVID-19, compared to 46.9% and 40.0% in micropolitan and metropolitan areas, respectively. In 19 states, more than 50% of rural populations are at high risk for serious illness if infected. Rural residents will generate an estimated 10% more hospitalizations for COVID-19 per capita than urban residents given equal infection rates. Conclusion More than half of rural residents are at increased risk of hospitalization and death if infected with COVID-19. Experts expect COVID-19 burden to outpace hospital capacity across the country, and rural areas are no exception. Policy makers need to consider supply chain modifications, regulatory changes, and financial assistance policies to assist rural communities in caring for people affected by COVID-19.