Racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths persist, but narrow

An analysis of 22.4 million U.S. COVID-19 cases for which race and ethnicity was known, revealed persistent disparities for Hispanic people. Similarly, Black people accounted for a disproportionately high percentage of the 570,000 U.S. COVID-19 deaths analyzed. White and Asian Americans made up a lower share of cases and deaths compared to their share of the population. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), racial disparities in cases and death rates narrowed for Black and Hispanic people over time, but not for American Indian/Alaska Native people, who also experienced higher rates of infection and death than their White counterparts. The analysis was based on data released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (KFF article, 10/8/21)