A data analysis firm in Nashville is warning that Hamilton County is especially vulnerable to COVID-19 due to its demographics and other social, physical and environmental factors.
When COVID-19 emerged, Decode Health began using its software to determine the Tennessee counties where people are most at risk of being hospitalized or dying from the disease.
Company founder Chase Spurlock, who holds a doctoral degree in microbiology and immunology, said Decode’s analysis considers social factors that contribute to COVID-19 outcomes, such as county demographics, socioeconomic status, food insecurity, education, transportation access and the prevalence of chronic disease.
Last year, the Hamilton County Health Department released its updated “Picture of Our Health” report. The report is updated periodically and provides a broad impression of the health of Hamilton County residents compiled from local, state and federal data sources. The health department and Regional Health Council use the report to prioritize and address the community’s health needs.
One of the key takeaways was the need to reduce health disparities. Black residents of the county are more likely than whites to die or get sick from certain health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, high blood pressure and kidney disease, according to the report. Hamilton County also has a higher percentage of African American and black residents than the state and country as a whole.