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A constant stream of research has shown that vulnerable communities across the United States are most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new study reveals incredibly huge inequity among a specific group in California.
Researchers at the University of Southern California have found that working-age Hispanic immigrants, that is, those aged 20 to 54, are 11.6 times more likely to die from the virus than men and women. women born in the United States who are not Hispanic. Looking at Hispanics of the same age who were both US-born and foreign-born, the death rate was 8.5 times that of whites.
Among black men and women aged 20 to 54, the coronavirus death rate was nearly five times that of whites.
These figures are much higher than those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which indicate that Hispanics in the United States are 2.3 times more likely to die from the virus and that blacks are 1.9 times more likely than whites. .
“We all knew from the start of the pandemic, when the numbers were going up, that there were differential impacts for different groups and we saw it especially for black and Hispanic people,” said Erika Garcia, assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck school. of Medicine of USC and lead author of the study. “We weren’t able to break it down by age group like this. While we thought there would be some differences, we didn’t expect it to be that big. a ratio, the disparities in numbers are much greater among these young working age individuals, especially you see for black and Hispanic individuals. “
Garcia and his co-authors said the study was a “call on state officials and public health departments to target vaccinations and treatments at a demographic that forms the backbone of industries. agricultural and state services, “according to a statement on the USC study. .
For the study published March 29 in the Annals of Epidemiology, researchers analyzed the death certificates of 10,200 people who died from COVID in California from February 1 to July 31, 2020. “The death certificate data, rather than data from the hospital system or insurance companies, has allowed researchers to capture COVID deaths among historically marginalized groups, including immigrants, who may be under-represented in health care systems or d ‘insurance,’ the statement read.
The most common characteristics observed in individuals were age 65 or older, foreign-born, males, Hispanics, and high school education or less.
Garcia said that looking more closely at the data by age group, the disparities were larger among Asia / Pacific youth, blacks, Hispanics and whites.
Although the study does not identify the reason for the disparities, Garcia said that she and the other study authors hypothesized, based on other research, that blacks and Hispanics of age working people are more likely to work in service industries that require them to leave their homes every day, often for jobs that expose them to large numbers of other people. Hispanics are also more likely to work in the agriculture industry.
“Within each of these groups, there are differences in risk, and the risk factors may be different between blacks and Hispanics and men and women,” she said. “It has a lot to do with living conditions, and whether there are multiple people living in a house. People who have to leave home for work are at higher risk and working conditions and have to take transport. in common also play a role. The risk factor for COVID is higher if you have to come into contact with more people. “
Jon Jacobo, chairman of the San Francisco-based Latino Task Force’s health committee, was not entirely surprised by the study’s results, although he said he was stunned by the disparity among Hispanics of age. work and whites.
“The number turned out to be something much higher than I had expected,” Jacobo said. “We know the national average is 2.3 times higher. It fits perfectly with the pain we’ve seen on the front lines.”
Jacobo said the study highlights the pain Hispanics are feeling in farming jobs in the Central Valley that has been hammered by the pandemic. The task force is helping the COVID effort in Planada, a small farming community of 4,500 people west of Merced.
“We’ve talked to people here who have tested positive in their farm work, and then they have to drive two hours and pay $ 200 to $ 300 for a test to prove they are negative before they go back to work,” he said. he declared. “These are some of the stories that have been shared with us that have been painful for us to listen to. You think of the disparities and inequalities and access to resources among those agricultural workers who support all the food that goes into our houses and tables. “
He also noted that Hispanics have been hit hardest not because of individual choices, but because of systems and policies that have been in place for a long time.
“It’s not that we don’t know how to wear masks,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t follow CDC guidelines. And it’s not that we don’t think it’s real because in fact we know it’s real more than anyone else because our community has been hit so hard. This is the legacy of racist policies, which were enacted when this country was founded and continue to be perpetuated today. “
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