What are the safest states during this pandemic? WalletHub recently published a study of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Researchers looked at five key metrics: transmission rates, positive test rates, COVID-19 hospitalization rates, death rates, and vaccination rates. The safest states, according to the study, were Alaska, North Dakota, Hawaii, Colorado and Vermont. South Carolina, on the other hand, was ranked second-to-last, ahead of only Alabama. In particular, that data suggested South Carolinians have one of the highest COVID death rates.