The numbers of confirmed cases and deaths have been increasing in this community
Latinos are the group most infected and killed by coronavirus. (Getty Images)
Photo:
John Moore / Getty Images
Latinos continue to fall ill and die disproportionately from the coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles and California, dAccording to health reports from Los Angeles County and the State of California.
41% of all coronavirus deaths in Los Angeles County have been from LatinosWhile the statewide rate is 39.4% when the Latino population represents 38.9% in California.
The county Department of Public Health reported that to date, generally across all ethnic groups, there have been 61,045 cases, and a total of 2,565 deaths.
"In 94% of cases, people who died had pre-existing health conditionsSaid Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the county's Department of Public Health.
"28% of deaths from this pandemic correspond to white residents, 12% to African-Americans, 1% to natives of the Pacific and Hawaiian Islands," he added.
Ferrer said that the loss of neighbors, friends and loved ones throughout our communities is felt by everyone.
“We are ending this difficult week with a commitment to work hard to address injustices in the systems as they have life and death consequences for minorities, and this includes working to increase resources around the COVID-19 testing, caring for and support for all communities disproportionately affected by the virus. ”
He also commented that people living in areas with high levels of poverty have a four times higher death rate from COVID-19. The average death rate among the poor is 51 per 100,000 against 13 per 100,000 in communities with low levels of poverty.
To bridge these inequalities, Ferrer noted that the Los Angeles County Department of Health works with the community, healthcare providers, and philanthropists to improve access to tests and services in their language and adjusted to their culture.
He recalled that the best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your unwashed hands; as well as maintaining social distance and wearing a mask when they are in contact with others outside the home. And if they do get sick, he said they should isolate themselves, and contact their medical provider.
The proportion of Latinos infected with the coronavirus has been growing in California. In early April, The opinion reported that the 30% of all cases that had been evaluated in the state of California corresponded to Latinos, while 29% of the deaths from the pandemic were from this community. At that time, minorities did not have access to testing centers, nor were there many.
Last April, Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, rector of the medical school of Drew University, considered that poverty, institutional racism, poor public schools, lack of health insurance and access to health are factors that are They add to the risk of acquiring the coronavirus in minorities.
But he also noted that the high rates of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney failure explain the high proportions of COVID-19 among African Americans and Latinos.
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas commented when the numbers showing the impact of the coronavirus on Latinos and African Americans, which was It is imperative to ensure that we continue to work against the health disparities that have been there for a long time to assure communities greater access and equity to resources.
