New cases and deaths are reported nearly every day by the state, but bottlenecks in processing tests and lags in reporting can cause delays. Seven-day averages provide a clearer indicator than daily totals. Decisionmakers often wait for the seven-day average line to flatten before stating circumstances have improved.

In the closing weeks of 2020, the first coronavirus vaccine was administered in Louisiana. While vaccines offer a clear solution to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will not single-handedly create a pathway to normalcy. The COVID-19 vaccines work by helping the immune system quickly identify the virus at the start of infection and prevent spread to the rest of the body. This significantly reduces the likelihood of infections developing into severe illness; thus, reducing hospitalizations and death. However, during this time the infected person may still be an asymptomatic carrier of the disease.

Reducing the length and severity of infection likely diminishes, but may not completely eliminate, transmission to others.^[note]. The more COVID-19 spreads, the more quickly new strains will evolve. Preliminary research suggests currently available vaccines may be less effective against some new strains.^[note][note]. The CDC provides regular guidance and information on emerging COVID-19 variant strains.

The vaccine is an important tool to help prevent unnecessary illness and death, slow new strains from emerging, reduce the burden on hospitals and healthcare workers, and in providing the stability needed to build a new economy. Because high inoculation rates are necessary for vaccines to effectively slow the spread of infectious diseases, ensuring high participation rates among the state’s nearly 4.7 million residents is paramount. Importantly, social distancing and mask wearing will continue to be as important as ever.^[note].

When we compare the race of folks killed by COVID-19, to the racial breakdown of a parish’s overall population, we can see which group is more likely to be infected by the deadly virus.

The total population and households in a parish provide context for specific data points that appear below (for example, people in poverty, and households without access to a vehicle). Total population in group quarters is important because these sites, which include nursing homes, university housing, and adult correctional facilities are locations where individuals share rooms or dining facilities, and COVID-19 can rapidly spread. In addition, group quarters are not isolated but are connected to the surrounding community through workers and visiting friends and family. An effective way to prevent the spread of COVID in group quarters, and to the rest of the community, is to ensure that all staff is tested frequently, and to provide "supported isolation" for sick residents away from their facility. Ideally, all group quarters residents and staff would be prioritized for vaccination. Knowing the total number of people in group quarters in a parish can help leaders identify possible COVID-19 hot spots and make plans for isolating sick individuals elsewhere, as well as prioritize vaccine distribution.

Parishes could not run without essential workers, whether COVID is a threat or not. Essential industries (according to the state of Louisiana) include hospitals and health care, nursing and residential care, cleaning services, utilities, public safety, agriculture, fishing, grocery and convenience stores, pharmacies, transportation and logistics, wholesalers, public transit, manufacturing, and oil and gas extraction. Within these industries, many employees must put their health and the health of their families at risk of COVID-19 exposure to maintain essential functions and continue to make a living. These are the workers on the frontline. This data can help parish leaders identify frontline jobs and provide frequent testing at these work sites, as well as prioritize vaccine distribution.

Low-income individuals are more likely to live in homes with only one bathroom making quarantining sick family members nearly impossible.^[note] Low-income individuals are also more likely to be working in “frontline” positions including in grocery stores, crawfish peeling plants, and as at-home health aides where they cannot remain socially distant.^[note] For these reasons, low-income families are more vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19 and are high priorities for testing and providing options for isolating sick family members away from home.

Data on households without vehicles can help parish leaders determine the best approach for making COVID-19 testing and vaccinations available. In parishes where many residents do not have vehicles, walk-up testing and vaccinations will be essential to slow the spread of the virus.

Grandparents are being advised to isolate themselves from grandchildren.^[note] But when grandparents live with their grandchildren they face increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 at home. Multigenerational households are important to prioritize for testing and for isolation options away from home should a family member get COVID.

Working-age adults (18 to 64 years old) are the group least likely to have health insurance (because older adults age 65+ typically have Medicare,^[note] and many children have coverage through LaCHIP or Medicaid).^[note] The graph below indicates working-age adults who lacked health insurance according to the most recent available data. However, many adults may have lost health care coverage after these data were collected due to massive jobs losses in Louisiana since the beginning of the COVID crisis.^[note] In parishes, where many adults lack health insurance, leaders may want to work with hospitals to ensure they are securing all possible reimbursements through the CARES Act so that COVID patients without insurance do not receive extremely high hospital bills.

When jobs are lost, families that pay more than half their income on rent may suddenly face homelessness.[note] The COVID-related layoffs of low-wage service workers^[note] could significantly increase homelessness in parishes where many renters are already paying more than 50 percent of their pre-tax household income on rent and utilities. As parishes allocate emergency rental assistance funds, leaders can use this data to ensure all families in need are not evicted and landlords can continue paying their property tax, insurance, and mortgage.

Families without internet access will struggle to participate in online learning and remote work. Having access only through a smartphone may be enough for telehealth appointments but won’t be enough for online learning and most remote work tasks. School and business leaders in parishes where many families lack internet access may need to consider providing internet access and computers or other means of connecting families to remote learning or work.