According to two new studies published Monday in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, racial and minority ethnic groups had higher hospital admissions for Covid-19 and sought more emergency care compared to white people.
“Analysis of hospital admissions from a database of more than 3.7 million hospital discharges and approximately 300,000 hospitalized patients in March – December 2020 showed that racial and minority ethnic groups had a higher percentage of Covid-19-related hospital admissions than white patients”, said the first study. .
In each region, Spanish patients represented the highest cumulative proportion of hospital patients with Covid-19.
Inequalities in the number of hospitalized patients were greatest at the beginning of the pandemic – from April to July – and became less pronounced as the number of hospital admissions in white patients increased. Diminishing inequalities do not necessarily reflect a reduced risk for minorities, but an increased risk for white patients, the authors said.
However, differences persisted in all regions at the end of the study period, especially among Hispanics in the West.
The researchers say these differences are caused by a higher risk factor for coronavirus exposure and a higher risk of serious illness.
The second study found that some racial and ethnic groups, including Hispanic, Native American, or Alaskan indigenous and black people, received emergency care for Covid-19 at “disproportionately higher rates” compared to white patients.
Between October and December 2020, there were 282,220 emergency room visits to Covid-19 in 13 states and racial / ethnic differences were observed between the age groups.
Hispanic patients and American Indian or Alaska Native patients were more likely to seek emergency care for Covid-19 than Caucasians in general, as well as for each age group studied. Black people aged 74 and older sought emergency care more often than white people, but no differences were seen for people under 75.
The data used in the study was from 13 states, meaning it may not be generalizable across the country. White people also represent a larger percentage of the population in the 13 states, compared to the national population distribution.
The authors say it is important to prioritize means of prevention, management of underlying health problems, safe school and work conditions, flexible leave policies, and improved access to and acceptability of Covid-19 testing and vaccination to reach these disproportionately affected groups.