Latinos In the US Experiencing Staggering COVID-19 Death Rates, Reasons Identified

COVID-19 around the world. Photo by Gerd Altmann/Pixabay

Guneet Bhatia | Jul 24 2020,

Coronavirus is spreading like wildfire across the southern and western U.S. and Latinos, who represent a significant percentage of the population in these regions are bound to suffer a great loss due to the pandemic.

Apart from the continued rampage of the COVID-19 pandemic, several other structural conditions make Latinos more vulnerable to getting infected by the coronavirus and unfortunately, die due to it.

Some of these factors have been identified in a new study published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology. It is the first nationwide analysis of COVID-19 transmission and deaths among Latinos.

The researchers concluded that several factors put them at a greater risk of getting COVID-19. The researchers found that living in crowded housing arrangements and being engaged in high-risk jobs in industries such as meatpacking, poultry and hospitality are some of the top reasons why Latinos continue to remain disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study’s lead researcher Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz said that there were structural challenges before the COVID-19 era that existed but now those are being highlighted.

During the study of the data, researchers found that Latinos accounted for a much higher number of coronavirus cases when compared to their percentage in the total population in certain areas in the Northeast, Midwest and West U.S.

The team referred to ceratin reports that indicated that the Latin American population in these areas accounted for 33 percent of the total coronavirus cases even though they constituted just 18 percent of the total population in the area.

According to data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported previously, 73 of every 10,000 Latinos contracted COVID-19, compared to 62 Blacks and 23 whites.

Lack of or proper access to healthcare and high levels of air pollution in the region have also been identified as reasons why the Latino population is suffering the most among all minorities when it comes to COVID-19 pandemic.

“We found access to health care was harder in the Midwest, so it’s very likely people only accessed care when they felt really bad, and as the disease progresses it gets more difficult to manage,’’ Rodriguez-Diaz said.