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Key Points Question How does the association between county-level income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, and COVID-19 cases and deaths change over time? Findings This ecological cohort study found that there was a positive correlation between Gini coefficients and county-level COVID-19 cases and deaths during the study period. The association between income inequality and COVID-19 cases and deaths varied over time and was strongest in the summer months of 2020. Meaning The findings suggest that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, areas of higher income inequality may serve as effective targets for interventions to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

DNA methylation is a biochemical alteration that can occur in response to cigarette smoking; however, little is known about the effect of SHS on human DNA methylation. In the present study, we evaluated the association between SHS exposure and DNA methylation in human monocytes, at a site (AHRR cg05575921) known to have methylation inversely associated with current and former cigarette smoking compared to never smoking. Results from this study suggest high levels of recent SHS exposure inversely associate with DNA methylation of AHRR cg05575921 in monocytes from nonsmokers, albeit with weaker effects than active cigarette smoking.