136: Critical Management of COVID-19: Social Determinants of Health and Public Health Preparedness

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare disparities predominantly affect socially vulnerable populations nationally and internationally Socioeconomics, minority status, and access to healthcare are just a few of the many factors that affect an individual's likelihood to contract and succumb to a disease outbreak As such, some communities are more vulnerable than others to health emergencies like novel diseases and natural disasters The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified these existing disparities Marginalized communities have been disproportionately impacted However, the extent of outcomes disparities and the efforts to combat these disparities is not well understood In our study, we aim to analyze the effects of social determinants of health on COVID-19 outcomes and public health responses METHODS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, social determinants of health (SDoHs) have played a significant role in COVID-19 incidence and fatality However, the impacts of general social vulnerability and government intervention on COVID-19 outcomes is not well understood Here we show the correlation between the twin pandemics of inequality and COVID-19 and the efficacy of public health intervention in minimizing these discrepancies Utilizing the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), we categorized the New York City counties into three vulnerability cohorts An analysis of daily cases, deaths, and hospitalization data reported by the New York City Department of Health was completed Finally, we developed and implemented a SIRD model for further analysis RESULTS: Using the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) calculated by the United States Center for Disease Control, we found that more vulnerable communities experienced a higher rate COVID-19 cases and deaths than less vulnerable communities Our results demonstrate that more socially vulnerable populations experience greater COVID-19 cases and deaths and that critical health intervention can diminish disparities in outcomes CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the implications of social vulnerability on disparities in COVID-19 health outcomes and demonstrates the critical role of public health interventions and infrastructure for equity