Lessons Learned from Health Disparities in Coronavirus Disease-2019 in the United States

Clin Chest Med. 2023 Jun;44(2):425-434. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2022.11.021. Epub 2022 Nov 22.

Abstract

In the United States, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionally affected Black, Latinx, and Indigenous populations, immigrants, and economically disadvantaged individuals. Such historically marginalized groups are more often employed in low-wage jobs without health insurance and have higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 than non-Latinx White individuals. Mistrust in the health care system, language barriers, and limited health literacy have hindered vaccination rates in minorities, further exacerbating health disparities rooted in structural, institutional, and socioeconomic inequities. In this article, we discuss the lessons learned over the last 2 years and how to mitigate health disparities moving forward.

Keywords: Black; Covid-19; Health disparities; Hispanic; Latino; Latinx; Race/ethnicity.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Black or African American
  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • COVID-19* / ethnology
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • COVID-19* / psychology
  • Emigrants and Immigrants / psychology
  • Emigrants and Immigrants / statistics & numerical data
  • Ethnicity / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Inequities*
  • Health Services Accessibility* / economics
  • Health Services Accessibility* / statistics & numerical data
  • Hispanic or Latino / psychology
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Indigenous Peoples / psychology
  • Indigenous Peoples / statistics & numerical data
  • Poverty / ethnology
  • Poverty / psychology
  • Poverty / statistics & numerical data
  • Social Determinants of Health* / economics
  • Social Determinants of Health* / ethnology
  • Social Determinants of Health* / statistics & numerical data
  • Social Discrimination* / economics
  • Social Discrimination* / ethnology
  • Social Discrimination* / psychology
  • Social Discrimination* / statistics & numerical data
  • Social Marginalization / psychology
  • Trust / psychology
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Vaccination / economics
  • Vaccination / psychology
  • Vaccination / statistics & numerical data
  • Vulnerable Populations* / psychology
  • Vulnerable Populations* / statistics & numerical data
  • White / psychology
  • White / statistics & numerical data