Associations between rurality and regional differences in sociodemographic factors and the 1918–20 influenza and 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemics in Missouri counties: An ecological study

Abstract

This study compares pandemic experiences of Missouri’s 115 counties based on rurality and sociodemographic characteristics during the 1918–20 influenza and 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemics. The state’s counties and overall population distribution have remained relatively stable over the last century, which enables identification of long-lasting pandemic attributes. Sociodemographic data available at the county level for both time periods were taken from U.S. census data and used to create clusters of similar counties. Counties were also grouped by rural status (RSU), including fully (100%) rural, semirural (1–49% living in urban areas), and urban (>50% of the population living in urban areas). Deaths from 1918 through 1920 were collated from the Missouri Digital Heritage database and COVID-19 cases and deaths were downloaded from the Missouri COVID-19 dashboard. Results from sociodemographic analyses indicate that, during both time periods, average farm value, proportion White, and literacy were the most important determinants of sociodemographic clusters. Furthermore, the Urban/Central and Southeastern regions experienced higher mortality during both pandemics than did the North and South. Analyses comparing county groups by rurality indicated that throughout the 1918–20 influenza pandemic, urban counties had the highest and rural had the lowest mortality rates. Early in the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic, urban counties saw the most extensive epidemic spread and highest mortality, but as the epidemic progressed, cumulative mortality became highest in semirural counties. Additional results highlight the greater effects both pandemics had on county groups with lower rates of education and a lower proportion of Whites in the population. This was especially true for the far southeastern counties of Missouri (“the Bootheel”) during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results indicate that rural-urban and socioeconomic differences in health outcomes are long-standing problems that continue to be of significant importance, even though the overall quality of health care is substantially better in the 21st century.

Spatial pattern of all cause excess mortality in Swiss districts during the pandemic years 1890, 1918 and 2020

“…Furthermore, an analysis of the socio-economic impact and economic repercussions of the 1918 and COVID-19 pandemics, conducted in both India and the USA 9,10 , underscored the significance of reflecting on historical events and incorporating the lessons learned from them. Another study conducted in the USA highlighted the impact of disparities in both urban and rural areas, as well as socio-economic differences, on mortality rates during both the 1918 influenza pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic 11 . Although numerous studies demonstrate the similarities and differences between the "Spanish flu" and Covid-19, very few link different pandemics through the context of spatial patterns.…”