Vulnerable Neighborhoods Bore Brunt of Pandemic Well into its Second Year

June 1, 2023 • by Esther Robards-Forbes

A study in PLOS Computational Biology from University of Texas at Austin epidemiologists examined COVID infection and hospitalization rates by zip code.

A map of Travis County shows different Zip codes in different colors against a grid. Lines intersect higher and lower income areas.

A recent study from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin found that in the first 15 months of the pandemic, infection rates by zip code were higher in East Austin than zip codes in West Austin. Shown is a map of the CDC’s social vulnerability index by zip code. Higher social vulnerability was linked with higher rates of infection during the first 15 months of the pandemic.


Two zip code maps of Travis County displaying cumulative covid infections and CDC's social vulnerability index

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