Coronavirus Affects Minority Groups More In Large Cities, Data Shows

Recent data suggests COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting certain races in larger cities like St. Louis and New York.

Dr. Syeachia Dennis, an assistant professor at OU Medicine in Tulsa, said black Americans and Hispanics are left more vulnerable to the exposure of COVID-19.

“Nationally, we are seeing that people of color, Black and Hispanic populations, are being more impacted, are having higher rates or incidents and are disproportionately dying from the disease," Dennis said.

Dennis said several factors are to blame "due to lack of access to healthcare, educational status, economic opportunities."

She said although these groups may show higher rates of hypertension or obesity, genetics is not a factor.

“When you look across races, there is very little differences than our genetic makeup,” Dennis said.

However, Dennis said what causes these disparities is social status.

Health care trust also plays a role in communities of color.

"There tends to be a mistrust of healthcare, of facilities or physicians,” Dennis said.

Thus, these groups tend to wait too long before seeking help.

Many people of color are still forced to go to work. 

Dennis said to help balance the disparities intervention is needed.

"We start doing more testing, we start doing more education, pouring resources into those areas, so those populations can start protecting themselves more,” Dennis said.