Counties without coronavirus are mostly rural, poor

The Associated Press ^ | March 29, 2020 | By MORGAN LEE AND NICKY FORSTER

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SANTA FE, N.M. - As the coronavirus rages across the United States, mainly in large urban areas, more than a third of U.S. counties have yet to report a single positive test result for COVID-19 infections, an analysis by The Associated Press shows.

Data compiled by John Hopkins University shows that 1,297 counties have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 out of 3,142 counties nationwide. Of the counties without positive tests, 85% are in rural areas - from predominantly white communities in Appalachia and the Great Plains to majority Hispanic and Native American stretches of the American Southwest - that generally have less everyday contact between people that can help transmit the virus.

At the same time, counties with zero positive tests for COVID-19 have a higher median age and higher proportion of people older than 60 - the most vulnerable to severe effects of the virus - and far fewer intensive care beds should they fall sick. Median household income is lower too, potentially limiting health care options.

“They’ll be later to get the infection, they’ll be later to have their epidemics,” said Christine K. Johnson, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Davis. “But I don’t think they’re going to be protected because there’s nowhere in the U.S. that’s isolated.”

“I hope the zeros are really zeros -- I worry that they’re not doing enough testing in those regions because they’re not thinking they’re at risk,” she said.

“It’s a fundamental unknown,” said Benjamin Neuman, a virologist at Texas A&M University. “I think there is some truth to that notion that there are lower infection rates out there”.

He said he fears for homeless populations and undocumented migrants.

¨We hope they stay safe. Those would be hard places to get rid of the coronavirus,¨ Neuman said.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

In this photo taken March 20, 2020, cattle rancher Joe Whitesell rides his horse in a field near Dufur, Oregon, as he helps a friend herd cattle. Tiny towns tucked into Oregon's windswept plains and cattle ranches miles from anywhere in South Dakota might not have had a single case of the new coronavirus yet, but their residents fear the spread of the disease to areas with scarce medical resources, the social isolation that comes when the only diner in town closes its doors and the economic free fall that's already hitting them hard. AP

[BelleAl]

Our county of 17K residents has zero cases. Let’s keep it that way!

[Court_Jester]

The poor are immune according to some.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mexican-governor-poor-immune-coronavirus-69805644

[arkfreepdom]

Even when they get a few cases it won’t be widespread. Contact is limited in normal times.

[Candor7]

Even when they get a few cases it won’t be widespread. Contact is limited in normal times.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Your old cow hands won’t mind traveling around and taking the temperatures of various ladies, just to make sure they feel better.

[bella1]

My city of less than 900 in a county of 15,000 had it's first positive; hospitalized on Wednesday, diagnosed Thursday, dead on Friday. Take this seriously. It would not take much for it to spread in a small community. We are all holding our breath

[Erik Latranyi]

Despite the way elitists view the rural and poor, many are healthier than those living in urban areas.

[HighSierra5]

When you’re poor you can’t exactly fly international or go on a cruise. Sometimes there’s benefits to being poor. Anyway this virus is not the black plague. Wake up America! Get tough or die!

[Republican Wildcat]

Our rural and suburban areas are our greatest buffer against a more rapid nationwide spread. Those in these areas can move around their living space and not regularly encounter other people in a close proximity. The large compact cities, however, are more similar to the nations where the disease spread like wildfire.

[loucon]

Which makes me wonder about President Trump wanting to start re-opening areas of the country. It might produce a gold rush of sorts with people and industries rushing into those areas.

[BelleAl]

I am taking it seriously. Just happy for the current stats. We are distancing ourselves on 55 acres with limited contact.

[Tallguy]

IOW’s... flyover country...

[Tallguy]

Any details on the patient? Age? Health history?

[Varda]

NYC polity - 20 million, infected cases 54,648, infection rate = .0027324
with 777 deaths = .00003885 death rate

Should it be hit and have the same results as NYC -

Wasco County Oregon - pop. 25,000 x .0027324 = 68.31 cases and 1 death

[bella1]

Not necessarily true. In our small northern communities many retirees go south..
Florida.. for the winter and small communities tend to socialize together.

[Bobalu]

My sister and I are heading to a farm we have in rural MO to sit out this virus mess.

It is a county of just a few thousand.

You can still buy TP there :-)

We have an enormous stash of supplies there...no need to even go to the store...although I wish I had some Coca Cola in storage...will have to get by on iced tea :-)

And there is fiber internet at the farmhouse...

Going to fry up a mess of frozen swai fish, cornbread and beans for tonight :-)

Internet, FR, fried fish, lots of movies....the good life!

[bella1]

70s, not greatest of health, but very social in the community. I am NOT a fan of our Governor but she did the right thing by closing the bars, restaurants, etc. I will be shocked if this person is the only one testing positive. I hope I'm wrong.

[Responsibility2nd]

Last Sunday governor Abbot of Texas made this point. There are 254 counties in Texas. 200 of those counties have no COVID-19 cases at all. Based on that he did not declare a state wide lockdown.

Well obviously he was distorting the true facts a little bit in that many of these counties are wide open, desolate, rural and non-urban.

[xp38]

Just another reason for the elite to hate them.

[HighSierra5]

So even with those statistics was it worth shutting down the country and putting us in eternal massive debt? Wouldn’t it have been better to isolate people at risk?