Infectious Disease
COVID-19 joins a long list of conditions that disproportionately affect minority groups
September 30, 2021
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Hewlett and Hlatshwayo Davis do not report any relevant financial information.
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Numerous studies have shown that racial minorities are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. IDWeek experts said this had a lot to do with history.
“We all watched in horror early last year as data emerged and continues to emerge on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racially minority groups.” We are happy Washed Davis, MD, MPH, the newly appointed director of the St. Louis Department of Health, said in a presentation during the conference’s 24-hour “Chasing the Sun” event.
“It is important for us to understand the history of our origins in order to have a full understanding of how we can best address these groups in a powerful and effective way,” she said.
History creates hesitation
Human experimentation is as old as slavery, said Hlatshwayo Davis.
“The bodies of blacks and browns were considered property to be used without consent because no legal rights were assigned to these people, our ancestors,” she said, adding that there are many examples of such experiments in the name of science.
She quoted Thomas Hamilton, a doctor known for conducting experiments to see how long slaves can be forced to work at high temperatures before passing out or succumbing to severe conditions. Marian Sims conducted experiments to repair fistulas on slaves without anesthesia, although it was available at the time, Hlatshwayo Davis said.
She mentioned Henrietta Lacks, who died of cervical cancer in 1951 at the age of 31 and whose cells were post-mortem and used for research without consent or compensation, and the Tuskegee experiment in which black men with syphilis were given false pretenses, which lead to “significant morbidity and mortality”.
“It’s still very relevant,” she said, adding that patients often cite these examples when discussing their medical reluctance.
These and other events affecting Native Americans, Pacific Islander groups, and Puerto Rican people negatively impact avoidable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, and opportunities that then limit the ability to maintain optimal health for socially disadvantaged racial, ethnic and other populations, ”said Hlatshwayo Davis.
According to data she shared during her presentation, “overwhelming” national polls on vaccination attitudes in late 2020 showed that people in the black community were most likely to say they would not get vaccinated against COVID-19.
A similar survey was conducted in April 2021 after several vaccines became available. According to Hlatshwayo Davis, the data showed that only 25% of black Americans responded that they would not get vaccinated. However, they are still well behind with COVID-19 vaccinations across the country.
COVID-19 and racial differences
There are additional factors that contribute to the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on racial minority groups.
Corresponding Choose Hewlett, Jr., MD, FIDSA, As medical director in the Department of Disease Control at the Westchester, New York Department of Health, last year’s data shows how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected these communities.
A study cited by Hewlett showed that 76% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Louisiana – and 70.6% of those who died – were black, although blacks made up only 31% of the study population. A study in Atlanta found similar results: 79% of hospitalized patients were black and only 13% were white.
A study at the start of the pandemic showed that 33% of COVID-19 cases in the United States were among Hispanics or Latinos of any race. To make matters worse, 38% of this population speak Spanish and 60% were born abroad, which creates huge barriers, Hewlett said.
“This creates additional layers of confusion in a rapidly changing information landscape and requires continuous, aggressive action,” said Hewlett.
He said additional confounders include obesity and diabetes, which disproportionately affect the black and Latino populations and are underlying medical conditions that can cause more serious illnesses.
The way forward
“I think we can say there has to be a national call to action,” said Hewlett. “We need a strong, well-equipped public health system, which is essential.”
Hlatshwayo Davis said moving forward will require better access and more knowledgeable care.
“We need to give people the opportunity to tell us where they are, ask open-ended questions, and listen to them so you know what you’re actually answering,” she said.
She said that if a patient is from an ethnic minority community with concerns about historical and current structural and institutional racism that has created barriers to access to health care, “it doesn’t take anything for you to acknowledge that what you are saying is valid and apologize “. as a current member of these very institutions. “
She said sharing personal experiences with the vaccination, including any side effects, and describing clinical data are a great way to respond to concerns and correct any misinformation.
“I saw how we were going through on COVID-19 last year when these stats came out, and we pretended this was new, like it was shocking to see COVID-19 really be a long list of health conditions.” join, for the Black and Brown communities have experienced similar inequalities and have been left behind, ”said Hlatshwayo Davis.
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