Clinch County At High Risk Of Big Virus Impact, Analysis Says

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May 21st, 2020

Having a chronic health condition does not raise a person’s risk of catching COVID-19. But as The New York Times noted, studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others suggest that once a chronically ill person contracts the virus, that person is at particular risk of severe symptoms, hospitalization and death. The obesity rate in Clinch County is 52%. One of four residents has diabetes, and 35% have hypertension.

Ted S. Warren / Associated PRess

An analysis of counties especially vulnerable to a major COVID-19 outbreak points to a South Georgia county as having the highest risk in the nation.

The health index, published by The New York Times, places Clinch County ahead of several other counties in the southeastern region of the nation as most at risk, based on new COVID cases and prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Such health conditions increase people’s risk of becoming severely ill if infected with the coronavirus.

The number of Clinch infections stands at 45 as of Wednesday morning, according to state data. But the CEO of Clinch Memorial Hospital said Wednesday that the county had an increase of more than 20 cases last week.

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