As pandemic wanes, life goes back to normal--but not for Black Americans
The hospitalization rate for Black people is higher than it’s ever been.
Although the pandemic appears to be easing, it is far from over for Black Americans. A report released Tuesday by the Black Coalition Against COVID details the toll that the pandemic has taken — and continues to take — on the Black community and calls for continued vigilance and action to prevent further losses.
“What we see in this report is startling,” said Marcella Nunez-Smith, an associate dean and professor of internal medicine, public health and management at Yale University who chaired President Biden’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. “The juxtaposition — that for some, the pandemic is over, yet the hospitalization rate for Black people is higher than it’s ever been — is stark.”
Related: Pandemic is hitting Black, Latino Americans 2-3 times harder than white Americans
The report summarized the current state of the pandemic in the Black community:
The primary-series fully vaccinated rate for adult Black Americans is on par with other racial and ethnic groups. Since September 2021, the gap in adult vaccination rates has narrowed. Based on the most recent available data, the rate of vaccination against COVID-19 among adult Black Americans is 80%.
Concerted efforts and targeted partnerships resulted in more equitable access to COVID-19 resources. Cross-sector coordination across levels of government, with public-private partnerships, community and faith-based organizations was critical to advocacy efforts and tangible support for Black Americans.
Educational and economic interventions strive to limit longer-term harm. Several interventions target educational and economic recovery to counter the unequal pandemic toll on Black and other communities of color. Resources directed to schools to support safe reopening narrowed racial gaps in opportunities for in-person instruction.
Inequities in Long COVID are emerging. COVID-19 infection has been linked to long-term symptoms that can emerge weeks to months after primary infection. Racial and ethnic disparities in long COVID are anticipated because of the higher burden of COVID-19 infection among Black Americans.
Black Americans recently experienced the highest rate of hospitalization for any racial and ethnic group since the inception of the pandemic. There likely are multiple contributing factors. Lagging rates of booster uptake and pediatric and adolescent vaccination present opportunities for additional public health interventions.
Black Americans face significant behavioral health challenges as a result of COVID-19. Greater experiences of pandemic stressors such as job loss and economic insecurity are correlated with sharp increases in anxiety, depression and substance use.
“The work ahead will be more challenging than ever and requires well-designed, adequately funded and strategically coordinated efforts at the national, regional, state and local levels,” the report concluded. “The time is now to recognize health equity is the work of everyone and for each one of us to do our part on the journey.”
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