Racial Disparity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in African American Communities

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has unveiled unsettling disparities in the outcome of the disease among African Americans. These disparities are not new but are rooted in structural inequities that must be addressed to adequately care for communities of color. We describe t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of Infectious Diseases 2020-08, Vol.222 (6), p.890-893
Main Authors: Kullar, Ravina, Marcelin, Jasmine R, Swartz, Talia H, Piggott, Damani A, Macias Gil, Raul, Mathew, Trini A, Tan, Tina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Americans
Betacoronavirus
Coronavirus
Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections - ethnology
Coronaviruses
Covid
COVID-19
Health Services Accessibility
Health Status Disparities
Healthcare Disparities - ethnology
Humans
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral - ethnology
Risk Factors
SARS-CoV-2
Social Determinants of Health - ethnology
Socioeconomic Factors
United States - epidemiology
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Summary:Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has unveiled unsettling disparities in the outcome of the disease among African Americans. These disparities are not new but are rooted in structural inequities that must be addressed to adequately care for communities of color. We describe the historical context of these structural inequities, their impact on the progression of COVID-19 in the African American (black) community, and suggest a multifaceted approach to addressing these healthcare disparities. (Of note, terminology from survey data cited for this article varied from blacks, African Americans, or both; for consistency, we use African Americans throughout.) The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has revealed long-lasting disparities in healthcare among African Americans. A multifaceted approach must be used to address these disparities, which will continue without a vision of health equity and a commitment to tackle structural racism.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/jiaa372