CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has updated the statistics on who is actually contracting COVID-19:
The report found that the incidence rate is 403.6 cases per 100,000, with men and women getting sick at almost the same rate. But the percentages of males who were hospitalized (16%), admitted to the ICU (3%) and who died (6%) were higher than were those for females (12%, 2% and 5%, respectively).
The rate was highest among people 80 and older and lowest among children 9 and younger. But the relationship between age and incidence rate was not a straight line: It was higher among peoples age 40-49 years and 50-59 years than among those age 60-69 years and 70-79 years.
Among cases with known race and ethnicity, 33% were Hispanic, 22% were black, and 1.3% were American Indian or Alaska Native. The report notes that “these findings suggest that persons in these groups, who account for 18%, 13%, and 0.7% of the U.S. population, respectively, are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Translated that means that blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians are about twice as likely to contract COVID-19 as their numbers in the population would suggest. The explanations which would seem to me to suggest themselves for that would be disproportionate representation in “essential occupations”, poorer overall general health, behavior, or genetic predisposition. I suspect all of the above are factors.
I also found this interesting:
The rate was highest among people 80 and older and lowest among children 9 and younger. But the relationship between age and incidence rate was not a straight line: It was higher among peoples age 40-49 years and 50-59 years than among those age 60-69 years and 70-79 years.
I’m not sure how to interpret that. Greater representation in “essential occupations”?
Makes me wonder what the proper comparison should be. Cities that got hit hard like New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Chicago have some of the largest minority populations in the country. Were those cities hit hard because they have a lot of minorities? Or are minorities hit harder because of where they live?
It is difficult to parse out.
There was article about two bordering working class neighborhoods in New York that had drastically different impacts from Coronavirus. One is predominantly Chinese, the other Hispanic.
https://www.thecity.nyc/health/2020/5/3/21247136/early-precautions-draw-a-life-and-death-divide-between-flushing-and-corona
One can infer there is some factor that is not about the government. Is it a factor that cannot be changed like pre-existing exposure to other coronavirus’s; or a factor that can be changed — like understanding the severity of the virus early and taking self-initiative to minimize risks?
Yeah, that’s part of what I mean by “disaggregating”.
Since I think the higher ” among peoples age 40-49 years and 50-59 years” refers to incidence I think that just means that those younger groups probably have higher employment rates.
Steve
Infection rates have been reported increasing in four states, but the US and world daily confirmed death toll has continued to decrease. At this point I would not be surprised if the reason is increased use of masks.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/daily-deaths-covid-19?country=OWID_WRL~USA