- Researchers report that the death rate from COVID-19 is significantly higher in Black, Native American, and Latino communities than other groups.
- They say some factors are underlying medical conditions, unequal access to healthcare services, and jobs that require employees to work closely with the public.
- Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to improve medical services, housing, and job opportunities for Communities of Color.
There’s more evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has widened racial and ethnic disparities.
A study released this week in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that the pandemic has killed more Black, Native American, and Latino people than other groups in the United States.
A team of researchers headed by investigators from the National Cancer Institute looked at data from March 2020 to December 2020. They examined death certificate information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and estimated death projections from the Census Bureau.
They then calculated the estimated number of excess deaths caused directly and indirectly by COVID-19.
Researchers said there were 477,200 excess deaths during that time period. They also concluded 74 percent of those deaths were attributed to COVID-19.
Researchers wrote that after standardizing the statistics for age, they found that the excess deaths for these communities per 100,000 people were more than double those for white and Asian communities.
They wrote that deaths not related to COVID-19 also disproportionately affected Black, Native American, and Latino people.
Researchers concluded that the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on these communities has been “devastating and highlights the urgent need to address long-standing structural inequities.”
Source: healthline