Krista Mar

COVID-19 Testing was inequitably distributed at the start of the pandemic, especially to at-risk populations. An index was created and mapped to help the operational and population health team members decide on where to put additional COVID-19 testing centers.

Access to COVID-19 testing was both limited and uneven for underserved populations, particularly in the early course of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Limited testing and reagent materials contributed to this problem as well as the quick response needed to handle the first wave of the pandemic. A COVID-19 Testing Needs Index was developed for use in Philadelphia to assist Jefferson Health in determining which neighborhoods most in need of access to COVID-19 testing. Internal data, city of Philadelphia COVID-19 data, and US census data were used in the index. Epidemiological measures were used as well as measures to capture disproportionate disease burden on historically underserved communities. Once the neighborhoods most in need of additional testing were highlighted, community partners were identified to collaborate on implementing testing locations. Python, geopandas, and folium were used to create a quick and dynamic visualizations to guide discussions and decisions about where to put additional COVID-19 testing centers.