Coronavirus Hits Boulder Minorities Much Harder, New Numbers Show

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — New data show large race disparities among Boulder County residents who've tested positive for the new coronavirus, health officials confirmed. Around 13.8 percent of residents in the county identify as Hispanic or Latinx, but they account for around 24 percent of the county’s COVID-19 cases and nearly one-third of hospitalizations, according to Boulder County Public Health.

The disparities among Hispanic and Latinx residents in Boulder County are larger than the disparities seen across Colorado — those minorities represent around 21.7 percent of the state's population and 28.1 percent of COVID-19 cases, health officials confirmed.

Emily Payne, a county epidemiologist, said the disparities "are concerning beyond the data points alone."

“We know that the Hispanic/Latinx population is younger in Colorado and Boulder County than the white non-Hispanic population. Despite this, there is a disproportionate percentage of Hispanic/Latinx residents in Boulder County with COVID-19 disease severe enough to warrant hospitalization.”

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Around 79 percent of people who've been infected with the virus in Boulder County have a known race and ethnicity, and statewide that information is known for about 75 percent of cases.

Because of unequal access to health care and economic opportunities, occurring over many generations, Hispanic and Latinx Coloradans are also more likely to have some chronic diseases, including obesity and diabetes, which are known to increase the potential severity of COVID-19, Boulder County public health officials said.

“At the heart of these disparities is systemic racism which we know from research produces institutional barriers to things like preventive medical care, healthy food, safe and stable housing, quality education, reliable transportation, and clean air. These barriers negatively impact a person’s health outcome,” Jeff Zayach, Boulder County Public Health's executive director, said in a statement.

“COVID-19 does not discriminate, it affects people of every age and race/ethnicity. Using this data helps us to focus our prevention efforts to ensure all people in our community have equal access to information, opportunities, and care.”

The county and its municipalities are trying to combat the disparities with "connector and cultural broker" programs, which use trusted representatives from harder-to-reach communities who share information and relay concerns to local government, non-profit agencies and private businesses for action.

Of course, data that are already known show that COVID-19 hits the elderly the hardest — around 80 percent of people who've died from the virus in the county were living in long-term care facilities.

“Research has shown that access to long-term care facilities has been much lower among Asian, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latinx older adults, which may also account for some of the results related to deaths,” Payne said.

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