Hospitalizations by Race
As of September 2021, Black individuals are 2x more likely than white individuals to be hospitalized due to Covid.
Covid-associated hospitalization rates per 100,000 population, U.S.
By race and ethnicity, Mar 7, 2020 - Sep 4, 2021
Source: CDC Notes: Gray bars represent pandemic peaks.
As shocking as nationwide case rates have been, with 45 million confirmed cases to date, hospitalizations continue to reveal concerning disparities between racial groups.1 As case rates from the Delta variant decline, hospitalizations remain high, stressing health care systems.
The most recent data on hospitalizations shows that Black individuals are 2 times more likely than white individuals to be hospitalized due to Covid. This is down from the disparity during the first wave of the pandemic when Black patients were being hospitalized at 3 to 5 times the rate of white patients. American Indian and Hispanic individuals are also more likely to be hospitalized due to Covid compared to white individuals. Asian individuals have the lowest rate of hospitalization, which is seemingly due to having the highest rate of vaccination. 69% of Asian individuals have received at least one dose of the vaccine, compared to 54% of white individuals with the second-highest rates.2 Within the Asian/Pacific Islander population, however, the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) subgroup has been devastated by Covid-19. Data from earlier this year shows that Louisiana had the highest NHPI mortality rates, with 1,334 per 100,000.3
This graph reflects the truism that crises exacerbate disparities –– the gap between racial outcomes increases during the peak pandemic waves, and then the lines coalesce when overall rates are lower.
State and local governments prioritizing projects for the American Rescue Plan could use these funds to begin to eliminate structural disparities that ultimately determine health outcomes — such as access to good jobs, quality education, safe/walkable neighborhoods, healthy foods, and quality medical care. Addressing underlying disparities now will help ensure that communities of color are not once again disproportionately impacted by future health crises, whether they be more aggressive strains of Covid or emerging climate threats such as extreme heat.
1. “Latest Data on COVID-19 Vaccinations by Race/Ethnicity”. Ndugga, Hill, Artiga, and Haldar. Kaiser Family Foundation. October, 2021. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/latest-data-on-covid-19-vaccinations-by-race-ethnicity/
2. “Percent of Total Population that has Received a COVID-19 Vaccine by Race/Ethnicity”. Kaiser Family Foundation. October, 2021. https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/percent-of-total-population-that-has-received-a-covid-19-vaccine-by-race-ethnicity/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7d
3. “Disparities in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander COVID-19 Mortality: A Community-Driven Data Response”. Penaia, Morey, Thomas, Chang, Tran, Pierson, Greer, and Ponce. American Journal of Public Health. July, 2021. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306370