WASHINGTON — Minorities in the United States are being disproportionately affected by the spread of coronavirus due to economic disparities and lack of data collection.
According to Politico, black and brown American communities are being heavily affected by the spread of coronavirus in the U.S. In addition, not enough information on the spread in these communities is being collected, affecting efforts to ameliorate the situation.
Five Florida counties stated that African American and Latino patients infected with coronavirus are being hospitalized and, at times, dying at faster rates than white patients.
According to a statement from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a little more than 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the state were from African American patients.
However, not all information related to the testing and treatment of these minorities is being released, making it difficult for authorities to provide proper help to curtail the spread of the virus in these communities.
Fewer individuals belonging to these groups have access to health insurance, further exacerbating the lack of information.
Data collected by doctors at the universities of Virginia and Pittsburgh, in collaboration with data-tracking firm Rubix, indicate that although thousands of individuals belonging to these minorities presented symptoms of coronavirus, they were not receiving testing.
