Doubly Burdened: Race-Ethnic Disparities in the Effects of COVID-19 and COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies

Authors

Ashley Fox, University at Albany, State University of New YorkFollow
Yongjin Choi, University at Albany, State University of New York

Author ORCID Identifier

Ashley Fox: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4106-7853

Document Type

White Paper

Funding Organization and Award Number

NYS COVID-19 Minority Health Disparities Taskforce

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

Black and Hispanic populations across New York State and around the United States have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 both in terms of COVID-19 associated morbidity and mortality but also bearing a larger burden of the economic impacts. Race-ethnic minorities also experience more longstanding and justified distrust of the medical community, which could serve to prolong the pandemic effects in the most vulnerable communities by contributing to reduced vaccine uptake. This paper reports the results of a survey fielded in November 2020 with an oversampling of Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic respondents across New York State concerning the impacts of the virus and intentions to seek vaccination and estimates of the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on minority communities. Overall, the survey finds that Latinx populations have been especially negatively impacted by the virus followed by non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks and NH Whites. Consistent with other surveys, NH Blacks were more hesitant about vaccination than other groups; however, 42% of respondents reported that they would definitely get the vaccine as soon as possible and another 27% said they would probably get the vaccine. All groups reported substantial indirect economic and social effects related to stay-at-home orders including lost income, but Hispanics have been the most impacted population, followed by NH Blacks. More effort should be put in understanding and alleviating the economic and social harms from COVID-19 mitigation strategies and consideration should be given to how these economic and social effects may compound existing health disparities into the future.

Contact Author

Ashley Fox

University at Albany, State University of New York

afox3@albany.edu

Recommended Citation

Fox, Ashley and Choi, Yongjin. 2021. "Doubly Burdened: Race-Ethnic Disparities in the Effects of COVID-19 and COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies" Understanding and eliminating minority health disparities in a 21st-century pandemic: A White Paper Collection. University at Albany, SUNY: Scholars Archive.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/covid_mhd_nys_white_papers/6