African Americans Struggle with the Current COVID-19

Abstract

Objectives:Our study aims to explore the differential impact of this pandemic on clinical presentations and outcomes in African Americans (AAs) compared to white patients.Background:AAs have worse outcomes compared to whites while facing heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. However, there is no current study to show the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the AA communities.Methods:This is a retrospective study that included patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from 2 tertiary centers in New Orleans, LA. Clinical and laboratory data were collected. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors associated with adverse events.Results:A total of 157 patients were identified. Of these, 134 (77%) were AAs, whereas 23.4% of patients were Whites. Interestingly, AA were younger, with a mean age of 63 ± 13.4 compared to 75.7 ± 23 years in Whites (P < 0.001). Thirty-seven patients presented with no insurance, and 34 of them were AA. SOFA Score was significantly higher in AA (2.57 ± 2.1) compared to White patients (1.69 ± 1.7), P = 0.041. Elevated SOFA score was associated with higher odds for intubation (odds ratio = 1.6, 95% confidence interval = 1.32-1.93, P < 0.001). AA had more prolonged length of hospital stays (11.1 ± 13.4 days vs 7.7 ± 23 days) than in Whites, P = 0.01.Conclusion:AAs present with more advanced disease and eventually have worse outcomes from COVID-19 infection. Future studies are warranted for further investigations that should impact the need for providing additional resources to the AA communities.