Coronavirus is hitting Iowa harder than many of its bordering states

In Iowa, as in its bordering states of Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin, the coronavirus pandemic began its gradual spread in the community mid-March.

Over a five-day stretch beginning March 6, six of those seven states reported their first positive test for the virus.

Since then, Iowa and its neighbors have had different responses in how they've handled the pandemic. The virus has also hit the states in different ways.

Data from the seven states show Iowa has had a disproportionately high number of cases compared with most of its neighbors, although there are some bright spots.

The 6,376 cases of coronavirus reported in Iowa as of April 29 put Iowa third among its neighbors, behind just Illinois and Missouri.

But the total number of cases alone doesn't tell the whole story: Iowa has a smaller population than most of its neighbors. Missouri, which has nearly twice the population of Iowa, has a considerably lower rate of infection among its residents.

When population is factored in, Iowa's rate of about two cases per 1,000 people is below the region's average of 2.24 cases per 1,000. But it's still third compared with Iowa's border states. Only Illinois and South Dakota are higher.

Daily cases in Iowa are higher

Iowa's volume of cases isn't just larger than other states in the region. It has also grown faster.

Illinois, which due to Chicago operates on a different scale than the rest of Iowa's neighbors, has the highest daily numbers. But no other bordering state, except Illinois, has reported more than 500 new cases in a single day. Iowa has reported at least 500 new cases on three out of six recent days.

On a per capita basis, Iowa has reported more new cases per person per day in the past two weeks than all of its neighbors save for Illinois, and the number of new cases in the state continues to increase: Recent days have seen the many of the state's largest reported daily cases totals since the virus reached Iowa.

Iowa's testing rate about average in the region

According to Wednesday data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa has conducted around 40,000 tests for the coronavirus. That represents about 1.3% of the state's population, a rate roughly in line with its neighbors.

The actual percentage of the population that has been tested is likely slightly lower, as it's possible some residents have been tested multiple times.

Iowa's mortality rate appears relatively low

Despite the high number of cases, Iowa has so far avoided a correspondingly high number of deaths because of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Iowa's 148 coronavirus deaths, as of Wednesday, make up about 2.2% of the state's reported cases as of April 29.

Although it's trickier to compare mortality data across state lines, as states may investigate or classify coronavirus-related deaths differently, 2.2% is still significantly lower than the national and regional average.

Iowa's number of deaths per capita because of the disease is also relatively low compared with its surrounding states.

What steps have Iowa and surrounding states taken?

Iowa and each of its neighbors have issued restrictions on mass gatherings and closed schools. Some states, including Iowa, have resisted issuing stay-at-home orders or putting more restrictions on travel.

The table below shows a handful of steps states can take and when Iowa's neighbors have taken those steps, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.