COVID-19 infection, death risks lower in areas with robust primary care, study finds

Residents in areas with the most robust primary care, the strongest public health infrastructure, and the fewest social vulnerabilities were 12 percent less likely to get infected with COVID-19 and 42 percent less likely to die from the virus, according to a report released Oct. 18 by Primary Care Collaborative and the Robert Graham Center.

Researchers examined primary care access, strength of public health and degree of social vulnerability at the county level using the Community Health Index, a new construct developed by the Robert Graham Center.

The index was then compared to vaccination rates and incidences of infection and death before and after vaccine availability.

Read the full report here.

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