The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unequal impact on different racial and ethnic groups in the United States, resulting in new disparities of health outcomes as well as exacerbating existing health and economic disparities.
The pandemic struck the United States in March 2020, causing almost 2 million known cases by June 1, 2020. During that initial wave, known cases were more than twice as common among Black Americans (62 cases per 10,000) and over three times as common among Latino Americans (73 cases per 10,000) as among White Americans (23 cases per 10,000). In the US, minority groups were disproportionately impacted by the health and economic consequences of the pandemic. Non-Hispanic Black Americans and Hispanic/Latinx Americans have been hospitalized at 4.7 times the rate of White Americans, while non-Hispanic Native Americans have been hospitalized at 5.3 times the rate of White Americans.
Effects on racial minorities have most widely been discussed by news sources in terms of increased infection and mortality rates, but these effects extend to other domains including long-lasting detriment to educational outcomes and decreased economic stability. As such, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light existing racial and ethnic disparities in the United States through the risks of COVID, economic and financial tolls, and racism faced disproportionately by minority groups.
For instance, Black and Hispanic people have faced economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their social and economic standing in the United States. Additionally, anti-Asian racism has been prevalent throughout the pandemic. As COVID vaccines began to be distributed to the public in December 2020, vaccinations were distributed unequally by race: in some states, Black and Hispanic people received smaller shares of the vaccinations even if their infection rates were higher. For example, Colorado had 10% of vaccinations going to Hispanic people even though Hispanics accounted for 41% of total cases. In the same state, White people received 80% of vaccinations even though they comprise 68% of the population.
Racial disparities
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated inequalities through uneven effects across social domains. Some of these impacts include disproportionate financial toll, crime, education, human rights, xenophobia and racism, disproportionate impacts by gender, and racial inequalities. Racial disparities in the public health and socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 have also been attributed to racial capitalism.
Black Americans
Infection rate
Black Americans have a greater propensity for infection than White Americans. For instance, a study from April 2020 showed that Black Americans in Chicago accounted for over 50% of COVID-19 cases, while comprising only 30% of the city's population. In Michigan, Black Americans, who comprise 14% of the population, suffered 33% of the state's COVID-19 cases. These examples are representative of the scale and magnitude of disparities affecting Black communities across the US. In fact, in April 2020 the Johns Hopkins University and American Community Survey noted from responses by 131 predominantly Black communities in the US that the infection rate of Black Americans was 137.5 per 100,000 individuals, more than three times that of White Americans.
As the pandemic has progressed, racial inequalities have persisted. Data from September 2020 indicated that Black Americans still suffered a disproportionate infection rate. Further analysis through March 2021 further confirmed that Black Americans had a higher infection rate than their White counterparts.
Due to higher death rates from COVID-19 and deaths at younger ages, Black Americans suffered a greater decline in life expectancy in 2020 than their White counterparts. Specifically, projected life expectancy declined by 0.73 years for White people but 2.26 years for Black people.
Co-occurrence of chronic disease
Closely associated with infection rates is the co-occurrence of chronic disease, since underlying disease has been tightly linked to greater COVID-19 infection rates and poorer outcomes.
Chronic disease has been associated with a number of factors, with diet and nutrition being a key contributor. According to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1999 to 2002, Black Americans were 43% percent less likely than White Americans to consume vegetables and fruits at quantities meeting the USDA guidelines. Moreover, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data from 2000, Black Americans were the racial group least likely to consume vegetables and fruits five or more times per day.