Recently named by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, racism is a serious public health threat. CDC recently shared published studies quantifying COVID-19’s disproportionate toll in America’s communities. CDC director Rochelle Walensky stated, “these disparities were not caused by the pandemic, but they were certainly exacerbated by [it].”
Takeaways from studies:
– Based on administrative discharge data from March–December 2020 and in all census regions of the US, Hispanics and Latinos made up the highest proportion of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
– Variables that disproportionately put communities of color at greater risk of exposure and severe disease include access to health care, occupation and job conditions, housing instability, and transportation challenges.
– Based on COVID-related ER visits in 13 states from October–December 2020, “compared with White persons, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native persons experienced 1.7 times the rate, and Black persons experienced 1.4 times the rate of emergency department care visits for COVID-19 during October–December 2020.”
Links for further reading:
Trends in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Hospitalizations, by Region — United States, March–December 2020 – http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7015e2
Emergency Department Visits for COVID-19 by Race and Ethnicity — 13 States, October–December 2020 – http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7015e3