Social and physical environment disparities contribute to mortality outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Demographic patterns suggest that fatalities from Covid-19 are disproportionately high in Black and Hispanic communities in the United States. This short commentary postulates that disparities in social & economic status and physical environment, with their resultant inequities, may also be contributing to high fatality rates. The top ten counties in the United States with the highest COVID-19 fatalities (as of May 16, 2020) from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus resource center were compared to county-level population density, racial demographics, socioeconomic status and physical environment factors. We conclude by recommending a multi-pronged response approach with coordination between health systems and local governments using county-level data to identify social disparity ‘hotspots’ where extra resources can be allocated and targeted interventions can be implemented.