Photo by Mario Tama ( Getty Images)Recent research released Tuesday confirms that the United States has been a breeding ground for the pandemic. Study found that covid-19 cases increased in counties with state prisons during the last wave. The authors believe that most of these cases are due to the pandemic spreading from prisons into the surrounding communities.AdvertisementPublic health advocates and experts have been concerned about the increased risk of infection in jails and prisons since before the pandemic. People in prison are more likely to be in cramped areas with poor health care, and to live in conditions that make it easier for a highly contagious germ such as the coronavirus.There have been many, often large, covid-19 outbreaks in prisons and jails during the pandemic. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that people in prison are at greater risk than the average person for contracting the disease. California was one of many states to prioritize vaccinations in prisons during the early years of the vaccine rollout.The Covid Prison Project is a database that public health researchers created. It shows that at least half a million cases of covid-19 occurred in U.S. prisons, which includes both staff and incarcerated persons. At least 2,500 people have died from the disease (both underestimates). This new research, published by the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), attempts to quantify the wider impact these outbreaks could have had beyond prison walls.University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers looked at data about covid-19 cases in the U.S. during spring 2020. They focused on comparing counties that had jails to those without. After adjusting for other factors related to covid-19 spread such as population density or nursing homes nearby, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found a clear connection between covid-19 cases rising in areas with a state prison.They estimated that these counties had 11% more cases of covid-19 up to July 2020. Although they did not have any data to show how many cases occurred in prisons, they estimate that about 70% of the added cases came from the community. These outbreaks were likely to have been spread by staff or incarcerated people. They calculated that the number of cases in state prisons across the country resulted in 95,000 additional deaths and more than 3,300 deaths from outside prisons during the first wave.The main takeaway from this research was that prisons are an especially vulnerable type of facility in terms of risk for disease spreading. This may add stress to rural healthcare systems already struggling with the pandemic. Kaitlyn Sims is a UWMadison doctoral student in agricultural economics and applied economics. She told Gizmodo via email.AdvertisementThis type of research cannot show a causal relationship between prisons, more covid-19. These findings support previous studies that found prison-related outbreaks could fuel more cases in the community. It also suggests possible interventions to keep the pandemic in check and away from prisons. According to the authors, there was no association between increased covid-19 and federal prisons. This could be because federal prisons had taken earlier actions in April 2020 to reduce contact between people. However, many people in prison have also spoken out about the abuse they suffered during the pandemic. Sometimes, it was for safety.Sims states that people who are living or working in prisons should receive additional support during the pandemic. This is similar to, but different from, other populations at risk for covid-19.AdvertisementWe find a significant correlation between covid-19 spread and prison presence. This highlights the importance of policymakers considering how the needs of prisoners and corrections officers might differ from those in congregate living facilities like nursing homes.For example, the federal government and some states have successfully pressed each other to reduce prison populations. This has been done by either commuting sentences for nonviolent offenders, or by releasing them into home confinement. Experts have praised these efforts as reducing covid-19 risk and improving the lives of prisoners and their families. However, this grace period is ending soon, according to the New York Times.AdvertisementSims said that her team is open to continuing to look at the link between prisons, covid-19 and the pandemic in the future, particularly as new data becomes available.
