COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina has rated near the bottom of the latest WalletHub survey of the safest states during COVID-19.
The personal finance site compared the latest coronavirus data* from the 50 states and the District of Columbia and rated the findings according to five key metrics:
- rates of COVID-19 transmission (an estimate of the average number of people to whom a single infected person will transmit the virus)
- positive testing (reported between Sept. 8 and Sept. 14)
- hospitalizations due to COVID-19 (reported between Sept. 9 and Sept. 21)
- deaths due to COVID-19 (reported between Sept. 15 and Sept. 21)
- percent of the eligible population getting vaccinated.(representing individuals age 12 and older who have initiated the vaccination process as of Sept. 21)
Each piece of data was assigned a weight and graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 indicating the safest location.
Out of the 51 resulting rankings, South Carolina came in ranked number 46, with an overall score of 49.78. The state also ranked 47th for the highest hospitalization rate, 47 of highest death rate -- and number 1 for lowest transmission rate (tying with Hawai'i and Kansas).
According to WalletHub, the safest states during COVID-19 are:
- Massachusetts, total score 95.73
- Vermont, 94.00
- Connecticut, 93.89
- California, 93.40
- Rhode Island, 92.99
The least safe states to be in during COVID-19 are
46. South Carolina (49.78)
47. Wyoming (48.06)
48. Georgia (47.56)
49. West Virginia (35.72)
50. Idaho (30.56)
51. Alabama (26.14)
Florida ranked 21 (76.95) and North Carolina ranked 35 (63.58)
*The data gathered was what was available from the US Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health & Human Services, COVID-19 Electronic Laboratory Reporting, and epiforecasts.io on Sept. 21, 2021.
