Structural Racism and JAMA Network Open

US life expectancy has not kept pace with that of other wealthy countries and is now decreasing.

Key Points Question Do outcomes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) differ by race/ethnicity, and are observed disparities associated with comorbidity and neighborhood characteristics? Findings This cohort study including 9722 patients found that Black and Hispanic patients were more likely than White patients to test positive for COVID-19. Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection, Black patients were less likely than White patients to have severe illness and to die or be discharged to hospice. Meaning Although Black patients were more likely than White patients to test positive for COVID-19, after hospitalization they had lower mortality, suggesting that neighborhood characteristics may explain the disproportionately higher out-of-hospital COVID-19 mortality among Black individuals.

This cross-sectional study examines the association of neighborhood race/ethnicity and poverty with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections and related deaths in urban US counties.