Lim, ChristinaBoron, Alexis2022-06-232022-06-23http://hdl.handle.net/10323/11913Why is COVID-19 spreading differently and not going away in the United States? The United States has been continuously struggling with this pandemic while other countries have returned to normal activities. Analyzed in this project will be the correlations of state heterogeneity, lack of universal healthcare, and increased rates of obesity and heart disease on the rates of COVID-19 in the United States. The impacts of this research project could be far-reaching in that it could point out the weaknesses of the United States in response to global pandemics. This could prevent the spread of disease, save valuable medical resources, and in turn save lives by reducing the number of infected individuals in the United States. Knowing why the United States is more vulnerable than other countries and working to mend those issues is invaluable in the fight against future pandemics, for the inhabitants of the United States as well as around the world.ObesityCOVID-19United StatesUniversal HealthcareState HeterogeneityThesis