Why People of Color Are Disproportionately Hit by COVID-19

Data show black and Hispanic populations face higher exposure to the coronavirus, plus bigger hurdles for medical treatment and level of care.

By Leslie Nemo
Jun 12, 2020 10:07 PMJun 15, 2020 4:48 PM
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(Credit: Joe Tabacca/Shutterstock)

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Of the more than 115,000 Americans who have died from the coronavirus, a disproportionate number of them have been Black or Hispanic. 

In New York City this May, Hispanics and Blacks were about twice as likely as whites to have the coronavirus, and died from it at twice the rate. In Chicago, those same populations were roughly two-and-a-half times more likely to have the illness. 

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