Racial & Ethnic Disparity in COVID-19 Impact Among Older Adults The aging population, or older adults age 65 and older, are more at risk for COVID-19 related deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as they are more likely to have underlying medical conditions which compromise their immune systems, making it more difficult to fight off the virus. As stated by the CDC, “As you get older, your risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases. For example, people in their 50s are at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 40s. Similarly, people in their 60s or 70s are, in general, at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 50s. The greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older.” As the bar graph shows below, one’s risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 increases as you get older. In fact, the CDC reports that 8 out of ten, or 80 percent, of COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults aged 65 years and older. Because older Americans are disproportionately represented in COVID-19 fatalities, it is important for caregivers and the community at large to help protect the aging population, and make sure they have their needs attended to while staying safe and taking necessary safety precautions.
Racial & Ethnic Disparity Among COVID-19 Impact
There has been pre-existing socioeconomic, racial and geographic differences in health and health care access for the older population, which we will review below. Thus, it is not surprising that a global pandemic has only exacerbated these disparities in health and health care access for older adults among the minority population. In fact, the CDC has reported racial and ethnic disparities in the impact of COVID-19. As the CDC reports on their website, “long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put some members of racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting COVID-19 or experiencing severe illness, regardless of age.” Among these minority groups, including non-Hispanic Blacks, the Hispanic and Latinx community, and American Indians/Alaska Natives, have experienced higher rates of his hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than non-Hispanic white persons.
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