MA Coronavirus: Disparities Among Hispanics, African Americans

BOSTON — People of color account for nearly twice as many cases of the new coronavirus as their share of the Massachusetts population, according to partial figures from the state Department of Public Health.

State officials reported nearly 17,000 coronavirus cases and 433 deaths as of Wednesday and identified the race and ethnicity of about a third of those numbers. Among the cases where race is known, Hispanics account for 21 percent of cases, compared to 12.3 percent of the Massachusetts population. African Americans make up 8.9 percent of the state's population and 16 percent of known COVID-19 cases.

Among those who have died, however, the disparities aren't as great as in states like New York and Alabama, according to the data available. Hispanics made up 10.5 percent of the deaths from COVID-19 in Massachusetts, while African Americans accounted for 5 percent.

As of Wednesday, the race of 8,971 people suffering from COVID-19 was unknown. Another 2,276 cases were missing from demographic data for other reasons.

Racial and ethnic disparities in the population affected by the coronavirus has drawn intense interest in recent days. In Chicago, black residents make up more than half the city's confirmed cases and account for more than 70 percent of the deaths. In Alabama, more than 40 percent of deaths from the coronavirus were African Americans.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley were among five members of Congress who pressured the federal government to release racial demographic data of new coronavirus patients.

"Although COVID-19 does not discriminate along racial or ethnic lines, existing racial disparities and inequities in health outcomes and health care access may mean that the nation's response to preventing and mitigating its harms will not be felt equally in every community," the letter reads.

Check out some of the demographic data in the charts below:

More Demographic Data For MA Coronavirus Cases

Although the virus is said to be more dangerous to people over 60, the available figures show that middle-age people are highly susceptible as well.

More than 3,200 Massachusetts residents age 50 to 59 have tested positive for the virus, the largest number for any age group. When combined with cases among people in their 40s, these cases account for almost 35 percent of all COVID-19 cases.