# High-income ZIP codes in New York City demonstrate higher case rates during off-peak COVID-19 waves

## TL;DR

The study found that high-income areas in NYC had higher COVID-19 transmission during off-peak times, while low-income areas faced worse hospitalization and death rates.

## Contribution

The study highlights how socioeconomic factors influenced both transmission and outcomes during different phases of the pandemic.

## Key findings

- High-income ZIP codes had higher case rates during off-peak waves compared to low-income areas.
- Low-income ZIP codes had higher hospitalization and death rates despite lower transmission rates.
- The pandemic amplified existing social inequalities in health outcomes.

## Abstract

Our study explores how New York City (NYC) communities of various socioeconomic strata were uniquely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

New York City ZIP codes were stratified into three bins by median income: high-income, middle-income, and low-income. Case, hospitalization, and death rates obtained from NYCHealth were compared for the period between March 2020 and April 2022.

COVID-19 transmission rates among high-income populations during off-peak waves were higher than transmission rates among low-income populations. Hospitalization rates among low-income populations were higher during off-peak waves despite a lower transmission rate. Death rates during both off-peak and peak waves were higher for low-income ZIP codes.

This study presents evidence that while high-income areas had higher transmission rates during off-peak periods, low-income areas suffered greater adverse outcomes in terms of hospitalization and death rates. The importance of this study is that it focuses on the social inequalities that were amplified by the pandemic.