Descriptive analysis of social determinant factors in urban communities affected by COVID-19

Objectives To provide a descriptive analysis of communities severely impacted by COVID-19 to that of communities moderately affected by COVID-19, with an emphasis on the social determinant factors within them. Methods To compare the communities with extremely high COVID-19 rates to that of communities with moderate COVID-19 cases, we selected six community districts in Queens, New York using public data from New York City Health Department that provides the percentage of positive COVID-19 cases by zip codes from March 1st, 2020 to April 17th, 2020. Results The results of the study showed that COVID-19 cases were 30% greater in communities with extremely high cases than in communities with moderate cases. There were also the several outstanding social determinants commonalities that were found in communities with extremely high COVID-19 cases. These include severe overcrowding, lower educational status, less access to healthcare, and more chronic diseases. Conclusion This study adds to existing literature on vulnerable urban communities affected by COVID-19. Future studies should focus on the underlying factors in each social determinant discussed in this study to better understand its association with the spread of COVID-19.