Black, Hispanic and Native American people infected with COVID-19 are about four times more likely to be hospitalized than others, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CNN said 70,825 hospitalizations were reported to the CDC over an eight-month period between March 1 and November 7. The agency found that White and non-Hispanic Black people represented the highest number of hospitalizations, but racial and ethnic groups were still disproportionately affected.
"The rate for Hispanic or Latino was approximately 4.2 times the rate of non-Hispanic White persons, according to the CDC data.The same was true for American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic Black people, who were hospitalized about 4.1 and 3.9 times the rate of non-Hispanic White persons," according to the website.
This is consistent with the CDC's earlier reports on the impact of the pandemic on non-white Americans. Cases among Black and Hispanic people are higher than other groups, and those infected died at disproportionately higher rates over the summer.
"We've learned a lot about how to treat this disease as well as more about how to prevent it with wearing masks and social distancing," said Dr. Lisa Cooper, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity. "The problem is that for people who still are having challenges with access to health care it doesn't mean things are getting better for them."
Many factors make people of color more susceptible to COVID-19, such as occupying jobs that expose them more and weariness about insurance and the health care system. Cooper also noted that they have higher rates of conditions like heart diseases, diabetes and obesity, which can lead to more severe reactions to coronavirus.
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