Nearly half of low-income communities have no ICU beds in their area

Almost half of low-income neighborhoods in the U.S. are without ICU beds in their area, according to new research that further supports how income inequality fuels health disparities. Scientists examined a community's median household income and compared it with the number of ICU beds per 10,000 residents over the age of 50. They found that nearly half those communities with a median household income of $35,000 or less had no ICU beds, compared to only 3% of those communities where the median home income was $90,000 or more. These differences were more apparent in rural versus urban areas. Lack of access to ICU care in low-income populations could further widen existing disparities seen in deaths from Covid-19, especially since those over 50 are at the highest risk of hospitalization for the infection. Read more from STAT's Juliet Isselbacher here.