The COVID-19 death rate is more than two times higher in rural parts of the country than it is in urban areas, Kaiser Health News reported Sept. 30.
This gap will likely grow wider because of declining access to healthcare in rural areas, public health experts told the publication.
As of Sept. 15, the seven-day average death rate for Americans in rural areas was .41 per 100,000 people, compared to .85 per 1,000 in rural areas. For its analysis, Kaiser Health News used data from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University and the Rural Policy Research Institute.
Most rural areas weren't hit hard during the pandemic's first surge. However, death rates in rural America began outpacing those in urban areas after the virus spread nationwide and before vaccines were available, according to the institute.
Overall, about 1 in 434 rural Americans have died of COVID-19 during the pandemic, compared to about 1 in 513 urban Americans.
To view the full report, click here.