(Axios) – A new Mayo Clinic study finds rural COVID-19 patients were 22% likelier to die after a hospital stay than their urban counterparts and that disparities persisted despite the rollout of coronavirus vaccines. Why it matters: The findings underscore how the U.S. rural population is one of the most medically vulnerable groups, often having limited access to high-quality post-acute, primary, and specialty care, researchers wrote. (Read More)