Andrew Joseph writes in STAT that as the coronavirus crisis careens toward smaller towns and rural areas, a new data project highlights a stark, looming reality: This pandemic could take a crushing toll on rural areas that are less prepared than many of their urban counterparts.
The examination of every U.S. county’s preparedness level, produced in a STAT collaboration with the Center on Rural Innovation and Applied XL, also reveals that some rural areas are better prepared than others.
Portions of states like Vermont and New Hampshire and regions like the Midwest, for example, appear equipped to better handle the brunt of the outbreak than other rural communities.