Citation

Tracey M, Plemmons A, Belasen A. Health Econ. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/hec.4499

PMID

35289022

Abstract

This study exploits the pathway of Hurricane Laura to assess its impact on the spread of COVID-19. Using US hospital data on confirmed and suspected adult COVID-19 cases, we find average daily cases per week rose by more than 12% primarily in tropical storm-affected counties in subsequent weeks. We suspect the key mechanisms involve constraints on social distancing for two reasons. First, there is significant evidence of storm-induced mobility. Second, lower income areas endured higher growth in hospital cases during the post-hurricane period. These findings provide crucial insights for policy-makers when designing natural disaster protocols to adjust for potential respiratory viral illnesses.

Language: en

Keywords

COVID-19; hurricanes; mobility; pandemic