Covid Cases and Deaths

Victory laps by a few select states and their grandstanding governors offset by the dramatic fall of other governors deserve a current look at the state of Covid by state. Data collected by FactSet on the Covid death and case totals, as of this writing (3/20/2021), are presented below. 

Cases per 100,000

Factset total number of cases per 100,000 population by state.

Higher bars are worse.

The total number of cases, per 100,000 population, range from a remarkable low of 2,026 cases in isolated Hawaii to a disastrous maximum of 13,265 cases in wide open North Dakota! The U.S. statewide average is 8,774 cases per 100,000. Oddly enough, the two states declaring victory, Florida and Texas, in red, have HIGHER per capita cases than the major targets of California and New York, in blue.  The complete list of per capita cases can be seen here. 

Truth be told, the case numbers for the four highlighted states rank near the average. Texas is ranked 27th in the country for per capita number of cases, Florida is 25th, New York 24th and California, where the Governor is facing impeachment due to Covid, is the best of the four at 22nd in the United States.

Deaths per 100,000

Factset total number of Covid deaths per 100,000 population by state.

Higher bars are worse.

The number of per capita Covid deaths by states (51, including the District of Columbia) are not so sanguine. There is a wide disparity among states ranging from a remarkable low of 32 deaths per capita in West Virginia (followed closely by Arizona, Vermont and Ohio) to a high of 271 deaths per capita in New Jersey followed by Wyoming at 254.  Of the four highlighted states California ranks with the worst at 49, behind Wyoming, at 244 deaths per capita. Florida ranks closely behind at 44th in the nation with 234 deaths per capita. Florida's Governor is campaigning on his Covid results. To fill out this story, both New York at 16th in the nation and Texas at 19th, are among the lower ranks of Covid deaths per capita.

One caveat for all these results is there are many factors other than population, such as density, social factors, economics, urbanization and more which affect Covid results. Here we see just one indicative measure.  

Conclusion

Covid is a national medical emergency (hopefully today in retreat). Despite being a medical issue, politics has distorted not just the responses of individuals to medical directives but also the public perception of state by state Covid results. New York's low death rates and Florida's high death rates make little mark in the public eye.

Disclaimer: Posts are for education only, may be subject to change without notice, and, while prepared with care, may be subject to omissions and errors. Please follow this blog by email.

© 2021 George Rahal.