The racial disparities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be a problem in the United States. A recent study has revealed the detrimental effects of the virus from a national standpoint.
American Public Media Research Lab, an independent organization that conducts research projects, provided the first overall numbers that show how Blacks are being affected by COVID-19 in the United States.
The study, titled “The Color of Coronavirus: COVID-19 Deaths by Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.,” revealed that 20,195 Black Americans have died from the novel coronavirus in less than three months. The study provided a breakdown of the Black mortality rate in comparison to other racial ethnicities.
According to the report, which compiled numbers from 40 states and Washington, D.C., Blacks have died at a rate of 50.3 per 100,000 people compared to a rate of 20.7 for Whites. Moreover, 1 in 2,000 Blacks have died compared to 1 in 4,3000 Asians and Latinos, and 1 in 4,700 White Americans.
The states with the highest number of Black deaths include New York (6,768); Michigan (2,007); New Jersey (1,807); Illinois (1,373); and Louisiana (1,360).
Montana, Nebraska, Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota are the only states that have yet to compile COVID-19 data by race.
As states begin to reopen, the study serves as a reminder of the overall impact of COVID-19.
At press time, 1.68 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 and 98,000 have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
