A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that Hispanic and black Americans are dying at a disproportionate rate from Covid-19.
The study, published Friday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, looked at demographic changes in deaths from the epidemic during the summer.
Between May and August, 114,411 Americans lost their lives to Covid-19. Older white men were among the largest number of deaths.
But the black population accounted for nearly 18% of the deaths in this time period, even though they only made up 12.5% of the US population. Latins cause more than 24% of deaths, but they make up 18.5% of the population.
The demographics began to shift in the summer. The proportion of Hispanic deaths increased from 16% to more than 26% of all deaths between May and August, while the proportion of those who died was white or black.
The CDC said there is a geographical shift in deaths. The highest concentration of deaths early in the pandemic was in the northeast, but the numbers have shifted west and south. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the geographical difference could not explain the increase in mortality in the Hispanic community.
Researchers believe the epidemic was more difficult for the Spanish community because they may be more vulnerable to Covid-19 due to their work. Latinos are also more likely to live in multi-family families or live with multiple generations in one family, which makes social distancing difficult for them.
Nearly a quarter of all deaths from the pandemic have been in places where people live in group settings in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. Many of these deaths occurred early in the epidemic. But when nursing homes stopped allowing outside visitors and took more robust population testing and isolation of patients, these deaths slowed and there was a shift toward younger, non-practicing populations over the course of the pandemic.
To reduce the spread of the disease, the CDC continues to recommend that people use face coverings, wash their hands frequently, stay away from others, and avoid large gatherings.
