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COVID-19 Outcomes Among the Hispanic Population of 27 Large US Cities, 2020-2021

Isabel P De Ramos1, Mariana Lazo1, Alina Schnake-Mahl1

  • 1Isabel P. De Ramos, Mariana Lazo, Alina Schnake-Mahl, Ran Li, Ana V. Diez Roux, and Usama Bilal are with the Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. Ana P. Martinez-Donate is with the Department of Community Health and Prevention, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University.

American Journal of Public Health
|May 19, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Hispanic populations experienced significantly higher COVID-19 incidence, hospitalization, and mortality rates compared to Whites. These racial/ethnic disparities persisted, particularly in areas with lower social vulnerability.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Disparities Research

Background:

  • COVID-19 has disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States.
  • Understanding the extent and nature of these disparities is crucial for targeted public health interventions.
  • Previous research indicates significant disparities, but comprehensive data across multiple urban jurisdictions is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes (incidence, hospitalization, mortality, vaccination) between Hispanic and White populations.
  • To compare these disparities across 27 US cities within the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC).
  • To investigate the relationship between city-level social vulnerability and the magnitude of COVID-19 disparities.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized surveillance data from the BCHC COVID-19 dashboard (as of mid-June 2021).
  • Calculated crude incidence, age-adjusted hospitalization and mortality rates, and full vaccination coverage for Hispanic and White populations by city.
  • Estimated cumulative and yearly (2020, 2021) relative and absolute disparities, exploring associations with social vulnerability.

Main Results:

  • Hispanic populations exhibited 2.2-6.7 times higher COVID-19 incidence rates than Whites in most studied cities.
  • Age-adjusted hospitalization (1.5-8.6 times) and mortality (1.4-6.2 times) rates were higher among Hispanics in all cities.
  • Hispanic vaccination coverage was lower in all but one city; disparities narrowed for incidence and hospitalization in 2021 but persisted for mortality. Wider disparities were observed in cities with lower social vulnerability.

Conclusions:

  • Significant and persistent racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes exist between Hispanic and White populations across major US cities.
  • Lower social vulnerability in urban areas was paradoxically associated with wider COVID-19 outcome disparities.
  • Further in-depth research into these disparities is essential for developing effective strategies to protect marginalized communities.

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