Covid Act Now, a nonprofit focused on providing timely data about COVID-19, released a COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index (CCVI). The CCVI combines data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) with COVID-specific vulnerability indicators, including epidemiological factors and health system strength, to help identify communities that might be at greater risk.
The index provides a vulnerability score for every state, county, and census tract in the U.S. The scores reflect characteristics of an area that might make it more vulnerable to an outbreak and health-related and economic suffering as a result. The CCVI score is based on 40 variables like the share of the population in poverty, the share who have minority status, and the share of households experiencing overcrowding. It also includes epidemiological factors that might make a population more vulnerable to COVID, including the prevalence of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions and the share of the population over age 65. The CCVI includes healthcare system factors, including the number of intensive care unit beds per 100,000 people, health spending per capita, and the share of the population with a primary care physician. The CCVI includes overall population density and the prevalence of high-risk populations like people living in long-term care facilities, people in correctional facilities, and the share of the population in high-risk industries.
For each state, county, or census tract, users can see which factors make it more or less vulnerable, recent estimates of COVID cases and deaths, and demographic information.
Covid Act Now produced a report summarizing findings from the CCVI.
The CCVI can be accessed at: https://bit.ly/3kXKGmw