Research Reveals Pandemic’s Impact on Vulnerable Population

In late March, a bipartisan congressional group led by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R, NY-24) and U.S. Rep Kathleen Rice (D, NY-4) cited the research of Maxwell School faculty member Scott Landes in its push to expand vaccine eligibility for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and those on the front lines who care for them.

A few months earlier, the same research was referenced in a letter from a group of U.S. senators calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to require states to report COVID data for people with IDD.

Beyond legislative action, Landes’ research generated widespread national media attention on the disparate impact of COVID-19 on people with IDD and resulted in several published studies. His work was conducted with colleagues at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Syracuse University from early April 2020 to the present.

The findings: While people with IDD are among the most impacted by COVID-19, they were underrepresented in state pandemic plans and data reporting. Landes and Maxwell doctoral student Ashley Wong found in one study that people with IDD in California had a 2.8 times higher per-case fatality rate that varied by type of residence and whether skilled nursing care was provided.