^aDepartment of Nursing, Semyung University, Jecheon-si, South Korea.

^bEnvironmental Studies, Oberlin University, Oberlin, US.

*Corresponding Authors’ Contact Details: E-mail Address ✉: clara.oh@apis.org; Phone no ☎: +82-10-2035-8115

Accepted November 30, 2020

The present study examined the impact of economic status, religious commitment, and political preferences on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 social distancing policies using linear regression analysis. In the US, states with social distancing policies have been successful in controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), while those without such policies have observed an increase in the spread of the virus. In Step 1, states were compared with reference to the number of social distancing measures implemented. In Step 2, the impact of the three factors on the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 was examined. The coefficient of determination for economic factors and confirmed cases was 0.009, which suggested that the late implementation of social distancing considering economic factors led to higher disease incidence. Despite a positive relationship between religious commitment factor and confirmed cases, a regression of determination 0.008 suggested no statistically significant relationship. The regression of determination for political preferences and confirmed cases showed a negative relationship (-0.09), which could be attributed to the change in Republican supporters’ perspective on social distancing. The relationship between political preferences and confirmed cases of COVID-19 could be an important finding for policymakers and researchers.

Key words: COVID-19; health policy; pandemic; public health; public policy; social distancing; social justice.

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