UCLA researchers from the Fielding School of Public Health have determined Black and Asian men are at highest risk for contracting the coronavirus.
Newswise reports the journal Epidemics published the findings in its December edition. The researchers used demographic data to estimate infection and fatality rates across California.
“Identifying high-risk population subgroups aids policymakers and health officials in combating the epidemic,” said Christina Ramirez, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor of biostatistics. “This has been challenging during the pandemic because governmental agencies typically release aggregate COVID-19 data as summaries; these may identify broad disparities in outcomes, but typically do not provide granular data that would include combinations of demographic characteristics such as age, race and gender.”
The study found the five highest risk groups were all male. In order of risk, they are African American, Asian, Multi-race, Latino, and White, followed by African American females.
“What it shows is that as tragic as the pandemic has been for Californians generally, it has hit certain groups even harder,” said co-author Marc Suchard, a professor of biostatistics.
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UCLA reports that although risks elevates with age, infection rates do not always increase with age in linear fashion.
“The workforce population with ages from 18–59 have a higher infection rate comparing with children, adolescents, and other senior citizens, except for people in their 80 and above,” Ramirez said. “We also found that the elevated infection and mortality risk for males and greater mortality risk for all races increase with age.”
The study did not look at why the disparities occur.
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