Written by Brittney Champagne, PharmD, Wintana Stefanos, PharmD and Deanna Rattray, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, CPP
Coronavirus disease 19 (covid-19) is a novel infectious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 that was first detected in Wuhan, China. Since then, the virus has spread almost worldwide. Individuals that are older in age and have pre-existing comorbidities are some of the most important risk factors associated with poor outcomes when infected by the virus. As more demographic data is obtained, we see that an alarming proportion of patients affected by the virus are among racial and ethnic minorities. For example, in Chicago 70% of covid-19 deaths have occurred in the black population although blacks make up only 30% of the population. Similarly, in Louisiana, 70.5% of death occurred in black individuals and blacks represent 32% of the population. These patters have been observed in other states including Michigan and New York. Surveys conducted by Johns Hopkins University reveal that the infection rate is 3 times higher in black counties in the US compared to white counties and death rate is 6 times higher. The disparities seen in rates of covid-19 infections and deaths have highlighted the underlying socioeconomic disparities that already exist in our society.
One major factor that explains the disparity in rates of infection is living conditions. Racial and ethnic minorities tend to live in densely populated areas and further from groceries and health facilities. In addition, many live within a multi-generational household making separation protocols harder to implement. Working conditions is the second major reason for the disparity. Blacks and Hispanics are employed at a higher proportion in service industry and agriculture jobs which are considered essential jobs. The third significant reason for the disparity is underlying health conditions. Minorities have higher rates of poor chronic conditions, barriers to getting adequate health care and lower rates of health insurance leading to worsened outcomes from being infected with the virus.
It is obvious that we need additional strategies to prevent the spread of covid-19 and provide additional opportunities for health care access. For the last two months, Telehealth has empowered health care providers to reach thousands from the safety of the patient’s home. Unfortunately access to technology may be limited for many racial and ethnic minorities, limiting the success of this method. As stay-at-home orders begin to lift in many states, shared faith and family institutions may be ideal locations to spread awareness and social support. We recommend reaching out to your local community center or church to see where you can help provide information on how to prevent the spread of covid-19 and help community members cope with stress of the pandemic.
Health systems are also committed to doing their part for the community. For example, many health systems are committed to eliminating these types of healthcare disparities with screening centers and mobile clinics specifically located in underserved communities. Providing a hotline number or completing an online assessment is also a way that health systems can evaluate patients with moderate to severe symptoms with minimal exposure to others. Providing PPEs to underserved communities is a simple and effective way of minimizing the spread. Find out what extra steps your health system doing to reach the underprivileged people in your area. These disparities will outlive covid-19 so we need continued efforts to address them within our communities.
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