THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CHRONIC LUNG CONDITIONS AND COVID-19 MORTALITY AMONG 65+ IN CONNECTICUT AND RHODE ISLAND

Abstract

Abstract Older adults aged 65 and older have accounted for 81% of all deaths from COVID-19 in the US. Individuals with chronic lung diseases have higher risk for severe COVID-19 and death. The aim of this research is to examine the association between town-level rates of asthma and COPD and deaths from COVID-19 in 208 towns in Connecticut and Rhode Island. This study utilized data from multiple publicly available datasets: the public health departments of Connecticut and Rhode Island, the 2021 Connecticut and 2020 Rhode Island Healthy Aging Data Reports (www.healthyagingdatareports.org), and the Census Bureau’s 2014-2018 American Community Survey (ACS). A multi-step analysis was conducted to examine the association between town-level chronic lung conditions and COVID-19 mortality. Bivariate correlations and mapping found strong, positive associations between town-level asthma prevalence and COVID-19 mortality (rs [206] = 0.15; P = .03) and COPD prevalence and COVID-19 mortality (rs [206] = 0.15; P = .03). After controlling for town-level factors associated with chronic lung conditions and COVID-19 mortality, linear regression models did not find support for an association between chronic lung conditions and COVID-19 mortality. However, town-level factors like percentage of the 65+ African American population (β: 0.19, SE: 249.18, p= .02) and 65+ with low educational attainment (β: 0.45, SE: 278.98, p= .001) were significant predictors of COVID-19 mortality. This research adds to the current knowledge base that high rates of racial minorities and low education among the 65+ population are significant predictors of town level COVID-19 mortality.