Persistently high SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate and incidence for Hispanic/Latinos during state reopening in an urban setting: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Hispanic/Latino populations are disproportionately impacted by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States (US). The impact of state reopening on COVID-19 in this population after stay-at-home orders is unknown. We evaluated the incidence, prevalence and trends during reopening of SARS-CoV-2 at a major federally qualified health center in Providence, Rhode Island. A total of 14,505 patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 from 19 March to 18 August 2020, of which, data on 13,318 (91.8%) patients were available; 70.0% were Hispanic/Latino, and 2,905 were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The urban Hispanic/Latino population was almost five times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 (risk ratio 4.97, 95% CI 2.59-9.53, P<0.001) compared to Non-Hispanic White. The positivity rates among the urban Hispanic/Latino population remained >10% during all phases of reopening. The trends of the incidence rates showed similar associations to those we observed for positivity rates. Public health interventions to address SARS-CoV-2 in Hispanic/Latino communities are urgently needed, even in latter phases of state reopening.