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COVID-19: US shelter-in-place orders and demographic characteristics linked to cases, mortality, and recovery rates

Jillian Alderman (Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, USA)
Maretno Harjoto (Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California, USA)

Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy

ISSN: 1750-6166

Article publication date: 26 November 2020

Issue publication date: 30 November 2021

834

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between the duration (in days) of states’ shelter-in-place orders; state demographic characteristics; and the rates of spread (cases), death (mortality), and recovery of COVID-19 in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

State-level data across 50 states and Washington D.C. from January 23, 2020, to June 11, 2020, and a multivariate regression analysis were used to empirically investigate the impacts of the duration of shelter-in-place orders and state demographic characteristics on the rates of cases, mortality and recovery per capita of COVID-19.

Findings

This study finds that a longer duration of a shelter-in-place order is associated with lower cases and deaths per capita from COVID-19. This study also finds that demographic characteristics, such as the percentage of people who are unsheltered homeless, family size, percentage of individuals with health insurance, income inequality, unemployment rate, gender and race, are related to cases, mortality and recovery rates of COVID-19.

Social implications

This study offers policy implications for state and locality (e.g., city, region and country) lockdown decisions and salient demographics to consider curbing the spread and mortality rate of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study results are important to consider as the world braces for the anticipated resurgence of COVID-19.

Originality/value

This study reveals that the duration of shelter-in-place orders and demographics in states are related to the rates of spread, mortality, and recovery of COVID-19.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge and thank anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and recommendations. They thank the Guest Editor, Anna Visvizi, for her comments, recommendations and support. Harjoto acknowledges the financial support and release time from the 2019–2021 Denney Academic Chair Endowment at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School for financial support and release time for this research project. They also thank Rebecca Dettorre, MA, for her editing support. All remaining errors are their own. Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Citation

Alderman, J. and Harjoto, M. (2021), "COVID-19: US shelter-in-place orders and demographic characteristics linked to cases, mortality, and recovery rates", Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 627-644. https://doi.org/10.1108/TG-06-2020-0130

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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