Abstract
Health varies by U.S. region of residence. Despite regional heterogeneity in the outbreak of COVID-19, regional differences in physical distancing behaviors over time are relatively unknown. This study examines regional variation in physical distancing trends during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigates variation by race and socioeconomic status (SES) within regions. Data from the 2015-2019 five-year American Community Survey were matched with anonymized location pings data from over 20 million mobile devices (SafeGraph, Inc.) at the Census block group level. We visually present trends in the stay-at-home proportion by Census region, race, and SES throughout 2020 and conduct regression analyses to examine these patterns. From March to December, the stay-at-home proportion was highest in the Northeast (0.25 in March to 0.35 in December) and lowest in the South (0.24 to 0.30). Across all regions, the stay-at-home proportion was higher in block groups with a higher percentage of Blacks, as Blacks disproportionately live in urban areas where stay-at-home rates were higher (0.009 [CI: 0.008, 0.009]). In the South, West, and Midwest, higher-SES block groups stayed home at the lowest rates pre-pandemic; however, this trend reversed throughout March before converging in the months following. In the Northeast, lower-SES block groups stayed home at comparable rates to higher-SES block groups during the height of the pandemic but diverged in the months following. Differences in physical distancing behaviors exist across U.S. regions, with a pronounced Southern and rural disadvantage. Results can be used to guide reopening and COVID-19 mitigation plans.
Highlights
In the first half of 2020, the U.S comprised 4% of the world’s population but 1⁄4 of the confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths [1]
Before March, the stay-at-home proportion was similar across regions, with 24–25% of the population staying home on any given day
After the enactment of stay-at-home orders and school closures, most regions experienced a sharp increase in the stay-at-home proportion
Summary
In the first half of 2020, the U.S comprised 4% of the world’s population but 1⁄4 of the confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths [1]. By April 26, 2021, the U.S had recorded over 31 million cases of and 569,272 deaths due to COVID-19 [2]. We have access to the data under an agreement pertaining to Section 11 of the Safegraph Terms of Service Safegraph.com/terms-of-service/), and Safegraph is highly willing to share these variables at currently no cost to academic users, but we do not have permission to make these data public at this time. Interested researchers can request access for these data at https://www.safegraph.com/ academics. The data underlying the results presented in the study are available from the SafeGraph Inc (https://www.safegraph.com/)
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