US State COVID-19 Report Card: July Update
Author: Mimi Tarrant
Map current as of 7/31/20
Following the initial release of the GenderSci Lab’s Health Affairs Blog, Socially Relevant Variables in US State COVID-19 Surveillance Reporting: A Report Card, at the end of June, the lab has continued to track changes in state reporting of socially relevant variables for COVID-19 cases and fatalities. Data availability is becoming increasingly critical as many states experience a second wave of infections. By monitoring the comprehensiveness of COVID-19 data reporting across the US, we are continuing to build a picture of what data are available, and where this data can be found. Only once socially relevant variables and their interactions are analyzed can COVID outcomes and their disparities are placed within their social context, as highlighted in our previous Report Card blog post. It is of paramount importance that states continue to be held to a high standard of accountability for their data reporting.
The full data tables for this Report Card, and prior versions going back to April, are hosted on our US State COVID-19 Report Card page. Data will continue to be updated monthly, with primary data hosting on the site and a highlights blog emphasizing important shifts.
Our updated Report Card for July highlights some promising changes. First, the average grade for states has increased from 6.42 to 6.60, with no states seeing a decrease in their reporting score from their previous score issued on June 26th. Yet, 6.60 still represents a D grade, and thus state reporting remains vastly inadequate.
Vermont, Nebraska, and the District of Columbia saw the greatest increase in score, as they all have begun to report an additional two variables within the last month. Vermont now reports comorbidities and interactional data for cases, Nebraska has added race/ethnicity data for both cases and fatalities, and the District of Columbia now interacts age and gender for its cases and fatalities data. These states provide examples of how comprehensive data can be included even at this later stage of the pandemic and show that change at the state level is possible.
Also noteworthy is the increase in reporting of race/ethnicity across both cases and fatalities. Two states (Nebraska, Louisiana) have added race/ethnicity data to their reporting for cases, whilst three (Florida, Maine, Nebraska) have added it for fatality reporting. This leaves New York and North Dakota as the only states not reporting race/ethnicity among cases, whilst six states (West Virginia, South Dakota, North Dakota, New Mexico, Montana, Hawaii) fail to report race/ethnicity for fatalities.
Overall, our monthly update clearly demonstrates that while changes in surveillance data reporting at the state-level are possible, these changes are not happening fast enough. Despite the aforementioned additions in race/ethnicity reporting, only two states (District of Columbia, Indiana) have begun reporting the interactions between socially relevant variables for fatalities. Such interactional data are critical for better understanding health inequities in COVID-19 cases and outcomes. With this in mind, we urge states to provide a more accurate picture of individual risk by reporting more comprehensively on socially relevant variables and COVID-19.
Highlights from July’s Report Card:
From June to July, the average grade for states has increased from 6.41 to 6.60. However, this still represents an average of a D grade.
Vermont, Nebraska, and the District of Columbia all saw a score increase of 2 by now reporting two extra social variables across cases and/or fatalities.
No states saw a decrease in score
Two states (Nebraska, Louisiana) have added race/ethnicity data to their reporting for cases, whilst three (Florida, Maine, Nebraska) have added it for fatality reporting.
Two states (District of Columbia, Indiana) have begun reporting the interactions between socially relevant variables for fatalities.
Source: Authors’ analysis of State Health Department websites, as described in Boulicault et al. 2020
RECOMMENDED CITATION:
Tarrant, Mimi. “US State COVID-19 Report Card: July Update ” GenderSci Blog, August, 20, 2020. https://www.genderscilab.org/blog/us-state-covid-19-report-card-july-update.
CONTACT:
For questions about the Data Report Card, the GenderSci Lab COVID Project, or to collaborate, contact us at genderscilab@fas.harvard.edu.