To determine the effect of healthcare policy implementation on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

As the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the USA, some states have been impacted in different ways than others. This is due to factors such as the implementation of public health guidelines, primarily mask usage, and vaccination rates. With the Delta variant already causing much damage and with newer variants mutating, it is imperative to understand the spread of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.

The study examined five states - Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana - and their respective COVID-19 cases. Data on these states were collected from the US Census Bureau and the CDC. The data was then compared between each state as well as to the USA. Finally, the data were analyzed and visualized using statistics software.

First, COVID-19 cases were normalized by dividing by population in millions to get a standard measure, Daily Cases Per Million (DPCM), to compare the five states. Next, we used the CDC data to create a timeline, which was used to compare case data between states. Additionally, the CDC data was used to compare states concerning non-communicable disorders.

Our analysis showed that the vaccination rate reduced while the masking mandates were interrupted for more than two months, with a rapid rise in delta variant of COVID-19 virus. Thus, from the study, it can be concluded that vaccines and mask usage are the most critical factors in preventing COVID-19 transmission.