A: Unfortunately, from the available data, African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately represented among COVID-19 deaths in the US. At present, most states are not reporting on the racial and ethnic patterns. There are many pathways through which minorities may have worse outcomes including social, socioeconomic and living circumstances increasing susceptibility to infection, in addition to differential underlying health conditions, uneven access to testing, and discrimination in the health care system.
BOTTOM LINE: Deep structural inequalities for minorities across almost all aspects of life in America need to start being addressed in parallel with the response to this pandemic.
This does not change the fact that the recommended behaviors apply to everyone. We all need to continue to practice social distancing and regular hand washing/sanitizing to help reduce the effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable members of the population.
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