Authors: Peter J Fos, Peggy A Honoré, Katrina Kellum.
The COVID-19 pandemic has become one of the most devastating events in the world. It has been particularly severe in the United States relative to cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. As the pandemic has progressed in the United States it has become obvious that cases and deaths of COVID-19 are not randomly distributed in the population. A disproportionate number of cases and deaths have occurred in racial minorities. Underlying conditions may be contributing to COVID-19 deaths.
This study’s objectives are to evaluate the number and rates of cases and deaths among racial minorities, identify the distribution of underlying conditions in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and to review the relationship of COVID-19 and diabetes. Diabetes, as well as several diabetes comorbidities, are considered health disparities among racial minorities.
The study findings concluded that the areas with high number of COVID-19 and high morbidity and mortality rates have a high percentage of Blacks in their populations. The percentage of Blacks in areas with the highest COVID-19 mortality rate is between 70.9% to 60.2 percent. The prevalence of diabetes in these areas ranges from 14% to 10 percent. The prevalence of obesity in these areas varies from 43.0% to 37.0 percent. Diabetes seems to be contributing to COVID-19 classification as an infectious disease health disparity.
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