The Midwest and COVID-19
Although there are cases of COVID-19 surging throughout the United States, it is hitting the Midwest, unlike any other region. As of last week, according to Bloomberg, “There are more patients currently hospitalized in the Midwest than in the West and Northeast combined, driven mostly by Illinois and Michigan.” And it’s a wonder why these cases are surging in the midwest more so than anywhere else but there are a couple of factors that potentially led to the increase. Maybe it’s the lack of social distancing as folks continue to gather in small groups, or it may be the lack of guidance from officials in these states. According to HuffPost, Anne Rimoin, an epidemiology professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, “The lack of a unified national plan including mask mandates, limits on social gatherings and the push to open the economy have all had an impact on the spread of the virus,” Rimoin said. “The mixed messaging coming from the White House has been confusing to the public and certainly resulted in the politicization of masks and other blunt public health measures.”
So, all these reasons have contributed to the rise in cases and consequently given many something to think about when it comes to illness preparedness. Or lack thereof for that matter. For instance, according to Bloomberg, “But by one measure, the outbreak in Iowa is worse than California even without controlling for population. California has 39.5 million residents; Iowa has only 3.1 million. But eight months after the virus took hold in Iowa, more people are being infected than in California at a similar point, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.” So, with statistics like this, it’s terrifying to be a Midwesterner right now attempting to navigate through these waters. And of course, the thought of COVID-19 spreading everywhere in the world, in general, isn’t settling but as cases continue to rise in the Midwest specifically, so are tensions.
Hopefully, as the winter months approach, we’ll be able to stay apart and reduce the COVID-19 transmissions, otherwise, it will be a tough winter as illness flourishes during this time regardless of the current pandemic. And with our advised guidelines from officials and the possibility of a vaccine, let’s hope that guidelines are absorbed and followed because face it, it would be nice to get back to regular life. As of right now, it doesn’t seem like that is possible in the near future. Especially for those in the Midwest.
This map from the CDC updates regularly to give you the latest statistics on COVID-19 cases.