Students' Mathematics Research Seeks Strategies for Statistical Modeling of Pandemic Data Jan. 27, 2021 Share This: A study by a team of Cal State Fullerton student mathematicians revealed that the rate of spread of COVID-19 is significantly slower in the more prosperous counties across the United States, while the coronavirus spreads much faster in counties with lower average income. For the first phase of the ongoing research, the students focused on 100 counties across the U.S. — the two most populous counties of each state — and collected readily accessible data to create their statistical models. The student researchers also focused on seven Southern California counties, including Orange County.