COVID-19 in Rural Counties

[dado potato]

As of 4/6/20 there has been at least one positive test in two-thirds of the rural counties, and at least one death due to COVID-19 in one-tenth of the rural counties in the USA. (Source: New York Times)

Confirmed cases per 100,000 population is less than urban areas, but this is on the increase in rural counties.

The NY Times reported a lingering attitude of denial: Being from a small town, you think it's never going to reach you. My own observation is that when the weather is nice, the boys still gather in the town park, shoot a few hoops, call up their buddies to join in, and soon there are 8 or 10 players on the outdoor court. (They look like the "the picture of health".)

The mayor of Mangum OK, population 6,000, Mary Jane Scott, tells how a visiting pastor from Tulsa came one Sunday to lead worship in a local church. Shortly after he returned to Tulsa, he got sick, and he became Oklahoma's first COVID-19 fatality. Then somebody at the local church got sick and tested positive. Several other church members tested positive. The local nursing home had a cluster of cases. In sum, the town of Mangum had 3 deaths, and 26 residents who tested positive to date.

Mayor Scott said, I thought I was safe here in Southwest Oklahoma. I did not think there would be a big issue with it, and all of a sudden, bam! Mangum now has an emergency shelter-in-place order and curfew. The mayor uses Facebook to post daily updates and advisories. At 7 PM nightly she asks residents of Mangum to step out on their front yards and and join in singing "God Bless America".

[SteveinMN]

Living not far away from rural areas and knowing folks who still live there, that "it can't happen here" viewpoint kind of amazes me. The trucks and drivers that load up the Dairy Queen and the Subway and the Dollar General come from bigger cities. People's kids come from the cities back to the farm for holidays or to help mom and dad move off the farm or just to visit. There may be space outside the bigger cities, but people still get together, often with less space between them just because there are fewer places to go.

Local health systems quickly find themselves overwhelmed because there just isn't any excess capacity. In fact, the decades-long people drain that rural areas have endured have left them with lots of marginal services, including public roads, social services, and telecommunications, not just hospitals. In most places, there just isn't the population base to support more than the minimum. COVID-19 could be really bad in rural areas if they do not flatten the curve.

[Rogar]

My suspicion is that rural areas have more positive cases than the numbers tell, but are a distance from any facility able to do testing. Unlike here where we have drive up testing locations. Although I don't doubt there could be an advantage to living in a more sparsely populated place.

Counties near me are having a problem with people out of work flooding the country to recreate, even though our Governor has explicitly told people that stay at home means not to drive to the mountains to ski, hike, raft, etc. No doubt these people stop in the small towns for gas or snacks or groceries or beer. That sort of takes the advantage of isolation away. One county has closed all county roads, excluding main arteries, to non residents. River based activities like rafting are prohibited in one. Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed for weeks for similar reasons.

[Gardnr]

As of 4/6/20 there has been at least one positive test in two-thirds of the rural counties, and at least one death due to COVID-19 in one-tenth of the rural counties in the USA. (Source: New York Times)

Confirmed cases per 100,000 population is less than urban areas, but this is on the increase in rural counties. .

Yup. The President has commented multiple times what a great job Idaho is doing. Well, he made people disregard warnings and recommendations. Community spread in many rural counties. So yes, the count is low, but the spread is wide and it will climb. Testing availability sucks. Results take for friggin' EVER! 15 days is stupid ridiculous and getting a test is tough because so few are available. But I wont' go on cuz it totally pisses me off!!!!

[dado potato]

Often the young people leave rural communities for urban areas, leaving behind a population Such as are of Riper Years, who would be at risk of a higher death rate from COVID-19.

One such community is Grand Isle, at the southern tip of Jefferson Parish, LA. Grand Isle is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, home to 1,300 residents, mainly 50 to 90 years old. Since April 2 there has been a checkpoint on the road, located at the Grand Isle Welcome Sign, to keep out any vehicle containing people who don't have proof of residence, or workers who don't have proof of employment there. Mayor David Camardelle said, We are going to make sure we protect our people.

http://www.townofgrandisle.com/grand...2-2020-at-noon

[Sonora Shepherd]

Gardnr, bless you for saying that! I am afraid that community spread sort of lagging the cities is going to keep this going longer than it needs to. We live in Lane County, Oregon, in Florence, and so far really low numbers, but no testing available here. Local newspaper has information that there are probably seven cases here, but since we are considered rural the county can't say where. A friend has a brother who works in the emergency room locally and says there have been a lot of cases that they think are coronavirus, but no testing. Either they drive 100 miles to Springfield or go home and gut it out. It is SO FRUSTRATING.

[iris lilies]

My suspicion is that rural areas have more positive cases than the numbers tell, but are a distance from any facility able to do testing. Unlike here where we have drive up testing locations. Although I don't doubt there could be an advantage to living in a more sparsely populated place.

Counties near me are having a problem with people out of work flooding the country to recreate, even though our Governor has explicitly told people that stay at home means not to drive to the mountains to ski, hike, raft, etc. No doubt these people stop in the small towns for gas or snacks or groceries or beer. That sort of takes the advantage of isolation away. One county has closed all county roads, excluding main arteries, to non residents. River based activities like rafting are prohibited in one. Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed for weeks for similar reasons.

They have drive up testing in tiny Hermann, Missouri, pop 2500. Rural flyover country.

[catherine]

We in the other Grand isle (not LA), were one of two counties in VT that had 0 reported cases--and then they set up a mobile testing unit and a week later, 13 had been tested--one was positive. So, yes, the numbers are reflective of the testing--not the true infection rate.

We are vulnerable to a false sense of security, but I see people really buckling down here. Wearing masks, social distancing. The supermarket has curbside pickup only. There are checkpoints at the crossings. A couple of crusty old-timers have been writing letters saying we shouldn't let "those New Yorkers" cross on the ferry to infect us all. Maybe we're more buttoned down than some rural counties because of our proximity to New York and also Burlington.

[razz]

Our county trails, which were the old rail lines, that run through the whole area have just been shut down. Out-of-towners were coming to hike in them because all walking parks and trails had been closed in their high density areas. Fine if found on the trail - $5,000! Why don't people understand? - STAY HOME!!!!

[Tybee]

Our county trails, which were the old rail lines, that run through the whole area have just been shut down. Out-of-towners were coming to hike in them because all walking parks and trails had been closed in their high density areas. Fine if found on the trail - $5,000! Why don't people understand? - STAY HOME!!!!

Sounds like Canada has a different approach than many parts of US, where people are encouraged now to go out and hike the trails during the lockdown.

I guess things are different there.