Krieger and her colleagues determined how much the total death rates increased in all ZIP codes and municipalities across the state compared to the same time period the previous five years. Taking into account age, they calculated the rise in mortality rates and then analyzed the differences by where the deceased had lived, looking at race and ethnicity, poverty, the prevalence of crowded housing, and more.
“This kind of data should be a wake-up call,” said Dr. Sandro Galea, a physician, epidemiologist, and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health. “It’s not enough to pay attention to the whole, but to pay attention to the fact that particular groups need particular help.”
Galea said state and local leaders could use the data to better target health messages and narrow health gaps — not just with COVID-19 but with so many other diseases that disproportionately affect lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color.