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Oxford University Press, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 9(73), p. e2970-e2975, 2020

DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1692

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Beyond the 405 and the 5: Geographic Variations and Factors Associated With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Positivity Rates in Los Angeles County

This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Abstract

Abstract Background To highlight geographic differences and the socio-structural determinants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test positivity within Los Angeles County (LAC). Methods A geographic information system was used to integrate, map, and analyze SARS-CoV-2 testing data reported by the LAC Department of Public Health and data from the American Community Survey. Structural determinants included race/ethnicity, poverty, insurance status, education, and population and household density. We examined which factors were associated with positivity rates, using a 5% test positivity threshold, with spatial analysis and spatial regression. Results Between 1 March and 30 June 2020 there were 843 440 SARS-CoV-2 tests and 86 383 diagnoses reported, for an overall positivity rate of 10.2% within the study area. Communities with high proportions of Latino/a residents, those living below the federal poverty line, and with high household densities had higher crude positivity rates. Age- adjusted diagnosis rates were significantly associated with the proportion of Latino/as, individuals living below the poverty line, and population and household density. Conclusions There are significant local variations in test positivity within LAC and several socio-structural determinants contribute to ongoing disparities. Public health interventions, beyond shelter in place, are needed to address and target such disparities.