Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

Associations Between COVID-19 Therapies and Outcomes in Rural and Urban America: A Multisite, Temporal Analysis from the Alpha to Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Examines COVID-19 treatment, health outcomes, and mortality disparities in rural and urban areas of the United States. Analyzes 2021-2023 National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data from 3,018,646 patients to break down COVID-19 disparities according to patient demographics, vaccine status, comorbidities, U.S. Census region, and adverse inpatient events, as well as urban, urban-adjacent, or nonurban-adjacent location.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, William H. Beasley, Kimberly Murray, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12857
Date: 2025
view details
Provider-to-Provider Telemedicine for Sepsis Is Used Less Frequently in Communities with High Social Vulnerability
Examines the relationship between provider-to-provider emergency department-based telehealth consultation (tele-ED) and the prevalence of sepsis in counties with elevated social vulnerability index (SVI) scores. Analyzes 2016-2019 data from 1191 patients treated in rural, Midwestern EDs, with breakdowns according to patient, provider, hospital, and county characteristics. Discusses the relationship between SVI scores and tele-ED use.
Author(s): Kevin J. Tu, J. Priyanka Vakkalanka, Uche E. Okoro, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12861
Date: 2025
view details
Fiscal Year 2024: Illinois Suicide Prevention Report
Provides information on the Illinois suicide prevention strategy. Focuses on data, COVID-19 impacts, and the history, purpose, and activities of the Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance. Includes data on suicide mortality by urbanicity, age, and county.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance
view details
America at a Glance: Rural Transit Funding Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
Analyzes National Transit Database data from 2018 through 2022 to describe changes to rural transit funding related to COVID-19. Offers comparisons based on rural or urban status, region, and county.
Author(s): Andrew Myers, Luke Santore
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities, University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
view details
Arizona State Health Assessment, 2024
Reports on the health of people in Arizona, including population subgroups, social determinants of health, and priority health issues. Discusses health and access disparities in rural, tribal, and border areas. Includes county-level data.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
view details
Behavioral Health Service Use among Individuals Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP Before and During The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Examines behavioral health (BH) service usage changes among Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Compares BH service initiation and treatment before the PHE (2018-2019) and during the PHE (2019-2020), with further data breakdowns by enrollee BH condition and demographic variables, including rural versus urban location.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Bird Flu Exposure Prevention – Employer Checklist
Checklist for employers of farmworkers to decrease risk of H5N1 exposure. Covers California-specific regulations in addition to guidance on written procedures, sanitation, biosecurity, training, personal protective equipment, and medical care. Checklist available in both English and Spanish.
Author(s): Teresa Andrews, Elizabeth Georgian
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
view details
The Role of Relaxed Telehealth Policy on Health Equity in Telehealth Utilization and Outcomes During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: A Living Systematic Review
Outlines the findings from living systematic reviews to describe the evidence measuring the association between telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic and health equity. Research questions include comparisons between telehealth use in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Nicholas M. Mohr, J. Priyanka Vakkalanka, Lauren Lavin, et al.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Remote Care & Telehealth Research Center
view details
Sobering Statistics: Acceleration of Alcohol-Attributable Deaths Across the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Provides information on alcohol use and drinking guidelines. Includes data on alcohol-attributable deaths in the U.S. per 100,00 people from 2006-2022, with breakdowns by state, race/ethnicity, sex, age, and large metro, small/medium metro, or nonmetro location.
Author(s): Andrea Stewart, Colin Planalp, Tyler Winkelman
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: State Health Access Data Assistance Center
view details
Indian Health Service Fact Sheet: HIV in Indian Country
Fact sheet on HIV disparities in diagnosis, awareness of HIV status, receipt of care, and more among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. Discusses the Indian Health Service's National HIV/HCV/STI Program, which focuses on reducing HIV, hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted infections in AI/AN communities.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
view details