Health Disparities

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Title: Hospitalization Rates and Characteristics of Patients Hospitalized with Laboratory-Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019
Date: April 17, 2020
Link: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6915e3.htm?s_cid=mm6915e3_w
Brief Description: CDC has released their weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report in regards to hospitalization rates based on patients' demographics. It can be seen that even though 45% of COVID-19 hospitalized patients are white, non-hispanic black people are at 33% which is a disproportionate rate given their lower overall population within the United States. 
Future Implications: Ongoing monitoring of hospitalization rates is critical to understanding the evolving epidemiology of COVID-19 in the United States and to guide planning and prioritization of health care resources.
Overall Impact: This trend confirms the baseline scenario where the patients who are most affected by COVID-19 share common underlying conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease and more. These underlying conditions tend to be most prevalent among African-Americans hence why the virus has a bigger impact on them. The best way for this unfortunate disparity to be dealt with is for public health officials and medical workers to pay attention to these trends in order to give these vulnerable patients the appropriate care they need.
Timeliness (0-5): 5
Scope (0-5): 5
Impact (0-5): 5
Likelihood (0-5): 5
Urgency (0-5): 5