Coronanvirus Disproportionately Affecting NoVA's Latino Residents

VIRGINIA — Virginia’s daily coronavirus cases rose for the third straight day on Friday, up almost 100 cases from recent days, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Officials also reported 16 new deaths from COVID-19 deaths after reporting its lowest increase in deaths since April on Thursday.

The VDH reported 555 additional cases of the coronavirus, up from the 463 new cases reported on Thursday. Earlier in the week, the VDH reported 444 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday and 445 new cases on Tuesday.

Of the new cases reported Friday in Virginia, 212, or 38.2 percent, came from the Northern Virginia region.

The Latino community is getting hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus across Virginia, including in Northern Virginia. Latino residents account for 45.3 percent of Virginia's cases and 35 percent of hospitalizations while representing about 10 percent of Virginia's population.

In Northern Virginia, Latino patients comprise a majority of coronavirus cases in Prince William and Fairfax counties, along with Alexandria. Experts attribute the high rate of infection among Latino residents to their economic status. Low-income families are especially vulnerable and have higher death rates from COVID-19, according to research commissioned by the Northern Virginia Health Foundation.

The city of Manassas and areas of Prince William County surrounding Manassas, for example, are reporting high numbers of the coronavirus that officials are attributing to the higher rate of infection among the Latino population. In Prince William County, Latinos represent 24 percent of the population but 59 percent of the hospitalizations for COVID-19.

Neighborhoods with low levels of education, high levels of economic distress, inadequate housing and transportation, and large numbers of African American and Latino residents without health insurance are seeing higher rates of coronavirus cases. In Northern Virginia, these areas are called "islands of disadvantage" because they exist in an area of Virginia known for its affluence compared to other parts of the state.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting a voluntary survey in Spanish, beginning Monday, of residents who live in parts of the Manassas area with high rates of positive coronavirus cases. The CDC is surveying areas that are home to large numbers of Latino residents in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Earlier this week, the Virginia Health Department started to include more detailed race and ethnicity data for reported coronavirus cases. Before Monday, race was identified as white, black or African American, or other. Ethnicity data was identified as Hispanic or Latino or Not Hispanic or Latino.

"This updated format allows us to get a clearer picture of how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting minority communities in Virginia," Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia's state health commissioner, said in a statement. "We see, for instance, that COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting Virginia's Latinx population. Although Latinx people make up 10 percent of the state's population, they account for 45 percent of the COVID-19 cases, 35 percent of the hospitalizations and 11 percent of the deaths. Factors such as access to health care, poverty, geography, occupation and racism drive these disparities."

The latest cumulative totals for all of Virginia are 56,238 positive cases, 5,744 hospitalizations and 1,586 deaths.

As of Friday, 509,930 tests (excluding antibody tests) have been completed in Virginia. The seven-day average for percent of positive test results was at 7.1 percent, down from 7.2 percent as of Thursday. The percent is also down from a peak of 22.2 percent on April 19.

According to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, as of Friday, 862 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, up slightly from the 857 people who were reported hospitalized on Thursday. So far, 7,563 patients with the virus have been discharged after being hospitalized, up from 7,493 Thursday.

As of Friday, there were 121 pending or confirmed COVID-19 patients on ventilators, down from 129 on Thursday. Among all Virginia hospital patients, 585 of 2,992 available ventilators are being used, representing 20 percent use. No hospitals are reporting difficulty obtaining or restocking personal protective gear or other medical supplies within the next 72 hours.

Here are the latest cumulative case updates for our coverage areas from Thursday to Friday:

• Alexandria: 2,198 cases, 230 hospitalizations, 48 deaths; increase of 12 cases and one hospitalization.
• Arlington County: 2,396 cases, 409 hospitalizations, 126 deaths; increase of 14 cases.
• Fairfax County: 13,244 cases, 1,547 hospitalizations, 432 deaths; increase of 35 cases, 18 hospitalizations and one death.
• Fairfax City: 67 cases, seven hospitalizations, six deaths; no changes reported.
• Falls Church: 58 cases, 11 hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes reported.
• Loudoun County: 3,504 cases, 232 hospitalizations, 82 deaths; increase of five cases and four hospitalizations.
• Manassas: 1,352 cases, 89 hospitalizations, 16 deaths; increase of 15 cases, one hospitalization and two deaths.
• Manassas Park: 402 cases, 44 hospitalizations, five deaths; increase of nine cases but one fewer hospitalization and one fewer death reported.
• Prince William County: 6,756 cases, 629 hospitalizations, 131 deaths; increase of 72 cases, five hospitalizations and four deaths.
• Fredericksburg: 219 cases, 25 hospitalizations, no deaths; increase of one case and one hospitalization.
• Spotsylvania County: 874 cases, 58 hospitalizations, 19 deaths; increase of 12 cases, two hospitalizations and two deaths.
• Stafford County: 921 cases, 93 hospitalizations, five deaths; increase of four cases and two hospitalizations.

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