COVID-19 patients from more socially vulnerable areas were sicker when they got to hospitals, but did just as well by the time they left — suggesting the importance of early and equal access to care.

But those differences disappeared by the time their stays were done — whether they left the hospital alive or dead.

The new findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, show the importance of social and economic inequality in the way the pandemic is playing out — including how early in their illness people seek or get access to care.

Even after the researchers took into account the underlying health of each person they studied, the social vulnerability index, or SVI, of their home ZIP code still made a difference. SVI combines multiple factors to create a score based on such things as a local area’s average income, education level and household density to the percentage of households led by single parents, or where English is not the primary language.

The findings could help policymakers target less-privileged areas with more services to prevent and respond to COVID-19 cases; SVI has already been used by the state of Michigan, and other states, to prioritize COVID vaccination outreach.

The study also shows the role of hospitals in equalizing outcomes for people from unequal backgrounds.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Michigan Medicine — University of Michigan. Original written by Kara Gavin. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.