Maps Provide Zip Code-Level Detail on Risk of COVID-19 Complications Across Wisconsin

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are providing local public health officials across Wisconsin with zip code-level data on the susceptibility of residents to severe complications from COVID-19.

The data will help public health officials and health systems prepare for hospitalizations, distribute personal protective equipment, or target communications to at-risk populations. The Health Innovation Program, a health systems research program within the School of Medicine and Public Health, has prepared the susceptibility reports based on anonymized health data provided by the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, a network representing 65%  of Wisconsin’s primary care physicians.

The reports estimate the number of individuals in a zip code that could develop severe complications from COVID-19, based on risk factors identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These reports can help identify neighborhoods that may need additional resources and services to keep people healthy or care for them if they become sick. The reports are an additional source of data as decision makers assess communities and plan their COVID-19 response. These data can aid in deciding where to direct resources such as test kits and personal protective equipment, in establishing or expanding community services such as grocery delivery, and in targeting communications and developing policy.

Read the full story at: med.wisc.edu