While LGBTQIA+ people remain unseen in many official statistics, the Census Bureau, through its Household Pulse Survey, is providing needed visibility on the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in America during the pandemic.

The share of adults experiencing anxiety or depression roughly tripled when the Covid crisis hit.

Although hospitals in 6 Southern states are already more full than the 2019 national average, 5 of those states have decreased the frequency at which they alert the public of new cases. With a deadly race between viral variants and hospitalization capacity, timely data-tracking and transparency by local governments will be crucial to support mid-course corrections in public health responses as conditions continue to rapidly change.

The most recent data on hospitalizations shows that Black individuals are 2 times more likely than white individuals to be hospitalized due to Covid. This graph reflects the truism that crises exacerbate disparities –– the gap between racial outcomes increases during the peak pandemic waves, and then the lines coalesce when overall rates are lower.

While LGBTQIA+ people remain unseen in many official statistics, the Census Bureau, through its Household Pulse Survey, is providing needed visibility on the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in America during the pandemic.

The share of adults experiencing anxiety or depression roughly tripled when the Covid crisis hit.

Many large corporations announced vaccine mandates for new hires, employees interfacing with customers, and employees returning to offices. In contrast, 75% of small businesses in the U.S. do not require employees to have proof of vaccination — possibly for ideological reasons, and possibly due to challenges finding workers. 12 states have banned vaccine mandates, making it more difficult for smaller businesses to institute vaccine requirements.

States refusing Medicaid expansion contributed to 16% of working-age Southerners lacking health insurance compared to 11% outside the South. The pandemic accelerated changes in U.S. employment, with part-time workers increasingly lacking health insurance and full-time workers increasingly securing this life-saving benefit.

State unemployment benefits in Southern states are insufficient to cover basic household expenses, except in Kentucky. Moreover, 5 Southern states cut off benefits sooner than the national average.