SF’s COVID-19 response has led to one of the lowest death rates in US cities, study finds

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SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s response to the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in one of the lowest coronavirus-related death rates among U.S. metropolitan cities, a study has found.

According to the study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), the city implemented “one of the most intensive, inclusive, and multi-pronged COVID responses” in the United States, leading to one of the lowest death rates among American cities of all ages and ethnicities.

“Rapid action informed by experience and data in San Francisco was critical to success,” according to the study, which was published in the academic journal Public Health Reports.

The department noted that the city has implemented vigorous mitigation measures, such as asymptomatic testing of vulnerable populations and enforcing masking in public spaces and stay-at-home orders.

The study also cited residents’ accessibility to tests and vaccines, financial support for populations severely impacted by the pandemic, reminder recommendations, and maintaining consistent COVID-19 updates as reasons for San Francisco’s reduced transmission rate, fewer hospitalized patients, and lower mortality.

“The success of San Francisco’s COVID-19 response hinged on quickly implementing these public health principles and adapting to real-time outcomes through the lens of health equity,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, San Francisco Public Health Director and lead study author.

According to the research, in 2022, San Francisco had a COVID-19 death rate of 98 per 100,000 population, compared to 229 COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 population in the state of California and 301 per 100,000 in the overall US population.

The SFDPH explained that this data was collected by tracking the number of deaths from COVID-19 as well as excess all-cause mortality rates in the city.

Across nearly all age, racial, and ethnic groups, excess mortality from COVID-19 was lower in San Francisco than in California as a whole, particularly among those over 65,” the department noted.

The study, however, also found that while the city’s COVID-19 response was exemplary, the SFDPH’s safety net medical institution, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, was overwhelmed by COVID-19, straining the institution’s resources and staffing shortages.

“Our public safety net facilities must strengthen their infrastructure to deal with the inevitable next pandemic,” Colfax said.

He and other researchers said public health approaches and priorities will continue to evolve as new variants of COVID-19 emerge.

The study can be viewed at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10323495/.

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