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Measuring reopening readiness: a universal COVID-19 index for US states

Eunju Suh (Independent Consultant, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)
Mahdi Alhaery (IBM, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)

Library Hi Tech

ISSN: 0737-8831

Article publication date: 17 August 2021

Issue publication date: 29 March 2022

147

Abstract

Purpose

While United States is among countries with the world’s highest coronavirus infections, its approaches and policies to reopen the economy vary by state. A lack of objective criteria and monitoring toward satisfying the criteria can lead to another COVID-19 outbreak and business closures. Considering the pressing need to return to normalcy without a rebound of COVID-19 infections and deaths, an index that provides a data-driven and objective insight is urgently needed. Hence, a method was devised to assess the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the degree of progress any state has made in containing the spread of COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

Using measures such as the weekly averages of daily new deaths, ICU bed occupancy rates, positive cases and test positivity rates, two indexes were developed: COVID-19 reopening readiness and severity.

Findings

A clear difference in the pandemic severity trends can be observed between states, which is possibly due to the disparity in the state’s response to coronavirus. A sharp upward trend in index values requires caution prior to moving to the next phase of reopening.

Originality/value

The composite indexes advanced in this study will provide a universal, standardized and unbiased view of each state’s readiness to reopen and allow comparisons between states. This in turn can help governments and health-care agencies take counter measures if needed as to the anticipated demand for future health-care services and minimize adverse consequences of opening.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the healthcare agencies of the states and the volunteers of The COVID Tracking Project and Healthdata.gov for their hard work in providing accurate data about COVID-19. The authors also thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the earlier draft of this manuscript.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Citation

Suh, E. and Alhaery, M. (2022), "Measuring reopening readiness: a universal COVID-19 index for US states", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 40 No. 2, pp. 535-547. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-03-2021-0115

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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