Sykes: Louisiana among least effective response to COVID-19

A new study ranked Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma in the Top 25 worst states at handling the COVID-19 pandemic based on how effective each state’s response was.

(KTAL/KMSS) — A new study ranked Louisiana in the Top 25 worst states at handling the COVID-19 pandemic based on how effective each state’s response was.

The study, published by Sykes, found Louisiana had the 24th least effective response using data from January through March 2021.

To determine rankings, Sykes looked at the average number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, the average test positivity, the average number of hospital admissions per 100 beds, the average percentage of hospitals with supply shortages, the average weekly growth rate of vaccine dose distribution per 100,000, the percent of vaccine doses used, the first states to issue mask mandates, and states with stay-at-home orders.

Louisiana had an overall score of 50.59. The state with the least effective response — Kentucky — had an overall score of 28.33, according to the study. The study found Hawaii had the most effective response with an overall score of 84.14.

Most of the states in the bottom 10 are in the south, according to the study. The only two states in the bottom 10 not in the south are New York and Utah.

New Jersey, Maryland, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Hawaii were the first states to issue mask mandates, according to the study. All but two of those states — Rhode Island and New Jersey — ranked in the top 10 for states with the most effective responses.

The study found that 42 of 50 states issued stay-at-home or safer-at-home orders. Arkansas and Oklahoma did not issue them and all placed in the bottom 10. North Dakota also didn’t issue a stay-at-home order and placed it in the top 10.

Florida placed in the bottom 10 for overall response, but did better addressing hospital supply shortages, according to the study.

Full state rankings (1 is best, 50 is worst):

1. Hawaii
2. Maryland
3. Washington
4. Connecticut
5. Pennsylvania
6. North Dakota
7. Oregon
8. Wisconsin
9. Illinois
10. New Mexico
11. Maine
12. Montana
13. Minnesota
14. Ohio
15. Michigan
16. Rhode Island
17. Colorado
18. Idaho
19. Kansas
20. South Dakota
21. Alaska
22. Wyoming
23. Vermont
24. Nevada
25. New Jersey
26. Massachusetts
27. Louisiana
28. Missouri
29. Indiana
30. Delaware
31. Mississippi
32. California
33. Iowa
34. Alabama
35. Nebraska
36. New Hampshire
37. Tennessee
38. West Virginia
39. North Carolina
40. Virginia
41. Texas
42. Arizona
43. Florida
44. New York
45. Arkansas
46. South Carolina
47. Utah
48. Georgia
49. Oklahoma
50. Kentucky

View the full study and methodology here.