WVU in the News: Food barriers will continue to intensify

As West Virginians remain in self-quarantine to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, it’s getting tougher for low-income residents, or people who live in rural areas to adequately feed themselves, said a West Virginia University public health expert.

“We know COVID-19 will disproportionately affect those living in poverty,” said Lauri Andress, assistant professor at the WVU School of Public Health. “The individual level guidance we typically provide on how to eat healthily will collide with the pandemic regulations that have been enacted, leading to a conflict with the structural and systemic issues we know to exist for low-income individuals living in food deserts.”