How vulnerable is your Midlands neighborhood in the face of a pandemic?

As South Carolina wrangles with the spread of the novel coronavirus, large swaths of the Midlands are more vulnerable than others to such public health emergencies, according to CDC data.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s Social Vulnerability Index ranks how susceptible neighborhoods are to disasters, such as pandemics, storms or chemical exposures. The index ranks the neighborhoods on 15 factors, from health and income to housing and education.

Health officials have found that certain groups are at higher risk for the harmful effects of Covid-19 — those include the elderly, those with preexisting lung conditions and people with other illnesses that weaken the immune system. However, doctors emphasize that the coronavirus continues to pose a risk to all people, regardless of age and health condition.

However, the CDC says vulnerable communities should receive special attention from public health officials and local planners in the face of emergencies.

In Richland County, census tracts stretching from just north of downtown, up past North Main Street, and out into the Dentsville and Arcadia Lakes areas are likely to be harder hit in the event of a disaster, the data show. Certain areas, such as near Hopkins and the eastern edge of Richland County, near the Sumter County and Kershaw County lines, are some of the most vulnerable in the Midlands.

In Lexington County, some fringe areas are likewise susceptible to emergencies:

▪ The area near Swansea and Gaston, near Calhoun County

▪ The town of Batesburg-Leesville on the Saluda County line

▪ A large census tract near Pelion, from Old Charleston Road to the Aiken County line

An area of West Columbia surrounding Woodberry Road and the neighborhood between Ball Park Road and U.S. 378 in Lexington are also vulnerable, the data show.

The CDC said the index should be used to allocate emergency preparedness funding, estimate where personnel and supplies will be needed the most and identify communities that will need additional support to recover from an emergency.