Rural America and Coronavirus Epidemic: Challenges and Solutions

Governor G Ameh; Anuli Njoku; Jeff Inungu; Mustafa Younis

doi:10.29333/ejeph/8200

Full Text (PDF)

Governor G Ameh ¹, Anuli Njoku ², Jeff Inungu ¹ ^* , Mustafa Younis ³

More Detail

¹ School of Health Sciences, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA² College of Health Professions, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI, USA³ Department of Health Policy and Management, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

There are emerging concerns about the preparedness of rural communities in the United States in the face of the 2019 novel coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2, causing the disease COVID-19) considering the existing disparities across the social determinants of health between rural and urban Americans. Taking into account the current exponential rate of spread of the coronavirus, this article critically examines the risk facing the 60 million Americans living in rural areas, discusses possible solutions pertaining to rural COVID-19 prevention, and examines measures to consider to prepare for this epidemic before it reaches rural areas.

Keywords

Coronavirus
COVID-19
rural area
social determinants of health

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT, 2020, Volume 4, Issue 2, Article No: em0040

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8200

Publication date: 24 Apr 2020

Article Views: 6955

Article Downloads: 4228

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Blavin, F. and Arnos, D. (2020). Hospital Readiness for COVID-19: Analysis of Bed Capacity and How It Varies Across the Country. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Available at: https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2020/03/hospital-readiness-for-covid19-analysis-of-bed-capacity-and-how-it-varies-across-the-country.html
CDC COVID-19 Response Team. (2020). Severe Outcomes Among Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)—United States, February 12–March 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 69, 343-346. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6912e2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview.html (Accessed 9 April 2020).
Chinazzi, M., Davis, J. T., Ajelli, M., Gioannini, C., Litvinova, M., Merler, S., … Xiong, X. (2020). The effect of travel restrictions on the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.09.20021261
Ebrahim, S. H., Ahmed, Q. A., Gozzer, E., Schlagenhauf, P. and Memish, Z. A. (2020). COVID-19 and community mitigation strategies in a pandemic. BMJ, 368, m1066. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1066
Emanuel, E. J., Persad, G., Upshur, R., Thome, B., Parker, M., Glickman, A., … Phillips, J. P. (2020). Fair allocation of scarce medical resources in the time of COVID-19. The New England Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsb2005114
Healthleadersmedia.com. (2020). Two-Thirds of U.S. Hospital Beds Are Already Occupied. HealthLeaders. Available at: https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/clinical-care/two-thirds-us-hospital-beds-are-already-occupied (Accessed 9 April 2020).
Jordan, R. E., Adab, P. and Cheng, K. K. (2020). COVID-19: risk factors for severe disease and death. BMJ, 368, m1198. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1198
Kaufman, B., Pink, G. and Holmes, M. (2016). Prediction of financial distress among rural hospitals. NC Rural Health Research Program Findings Brief: Chapel Hill, NC, USA, 9, pp. 1665-1672. Retrieved from https://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2015Prediction-of-Distress.pdf
Madani, T. A., Althaqafi, A. O. and Alraddadi, B. M. (2014). Infection prevention and control guidelines for patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Saudi Med J, 35(8), 897-913. Retrieved from http://applications.emro.who.int/imemrf/Saudi_Med_J/Saudi_Med_J_2014_35_8_897_913.pdf
Patel, A. and Jernigan, D. B. (2020). Initial public health response and interim clinical guidance for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak—United States, December 31, 2019–February 4, 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(5), 140. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6905e1
Peterson, L. E., Newton, W. P. and Bazemore, A. W. (2020). Working to advance the health of rural Americans: an update from the abfm. The Annals of Family Medicine, 18(2), 184-185. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2526
Rashid, H., Haworth, E., Shafi, S., Memish, Z. A. and Booy, R. (2008). Pandemic influenza: mass gatherings and mass infection. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 8(9), 526. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(08)70186-5
Satcher, D. (2011). The Impact of Disparities in Health on Pandemic Preparedness. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 22(3), 36-37. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2011.0099
Seeks, W. C. B. (2018). Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved from http://applications.emro.who.int/imemrf/Saudi_Med_J/Saudi_Med_J_2014_35_8_897_913.pdf
Smith, A. C., Bensink, M., Armfield, N., Stillman, J. and Caffery, L. (2005). Telemedicine and rural health care applications. Journal of postgraduate medicine, 51(4), 286. Retrieved from http://www.jpgmonline.com/text.asp?2005/51/4/286/19242
Smith, A. C., Thomas, E., Snoswell, C. L., Haydon, H., Mehrotra, A., Clemensen, J. and Caffery, L. J. (2020). Telehealth for global emergencies: Implications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 1357633X20916567. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X20916567
Snoswell, C., Mehrotra, A., Thomas, E., Smith, K., Haydon, H., Caffery, L. and Smith, A. (2020). Making the most of telehealth in COVID-19 responses, and beyond. Croakey. Available at: https://croakey.org/making-the-most-of-telehealth-in-covid-19-responses-and-beyond/
Staff, C. S., Archives, C. C., iCritical Care, A. A., Blog, C. C., Connect, S. C. C. M., App, S. C. C. M. and Demand, C. O. (2020). United States Resource Availability for COVID-19.
United States Census Bureau. (2019). American community survey. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2019/acs/acs-41.pdf
World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): situation report - 12. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
Zhang, P., Tao, G. and Anderson, L. A. (2003). Differences in access to health care services among adults in rural America by rural classification categories and age. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 11(2), 64-72. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1584.2003.00454.x
Zhou, X., Snoswell, C. L., Harding, L. E., Bambling, M., Edirippulige, S., Bai, X. and Smith, A. C. (2020). The Role of Telehealth in Reducing the Mental Health Burden from COVID-19. Telemedicine and e-Health. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2020.0068

How to cite this article

Vancouver

Ameh GG, Njoku A, Inungu J, Younis M. Rural America and Coronavirus Epidemic: Challenges and Solutions. EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT. 2020;4(2):em0040. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8200

APA

Ameh, G. G., Njoku, A., Inungu, J., & Younis, M. (2020). Rural America and Coronavirus Epidemic: Challenges and Solutions. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 4(2), em0040. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8200

AMA

Ameh GG, Njoku A, Inungu J, Younis M. Rural America and Coronavirus Epidemic: Challenges and Solutions. EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT. 2020;4(2), em0040. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8200

Chicago

Ameh, Governor G, Anuli Njoku, Jeff Inungu, and Mustafa Younis. "Rural America and Coronavirus Epidemic: Challenges and Solutions". European Journal of Environment and Public Health 2020 4 no. 2 (2020): em0040. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8200

Harvard

Ameh, G. G., Njoku, A., Inungu, J., and Younis, M. (2020). Rural America and Coronavirus Epidemic: Challenges and Solutions. European Journal of Environment and Public Health, 4(2), em0040. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8200

MLA

Ameh, Governor G et al. "Rural America and Coronavirus Epidemic: Challenges and Solutions". European Journal of Environment and Public Health, vol. 4, no. 2, 2020, em0040. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/8200