Colorado Latinos and Asian Americans saw the largest increase in mortality in 2020, primarily from COVID-19 – Greeley Tribune

Last year was especially deadly for Colorado’s colored race.

In 2020, mortality rates for all racial and ethnic groups across the state increased, with the COVID-19 pandemic being the main factor.

However, in the case of white Colorado, the overall increase in mortality was less than the viral mortality. This means that reduced deaths from cancer, heart disease, stroke and suicide offset some of the effects of COVID-19.

The overall mortality rate of the Caucasian non-Hispanic group, adjusted for population age, increased by less than 8% compared to the 5-year average.

The rest of Colorado’s population wasn’t very lucky. Mortality in 2020 increased by 34% for Latin Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders, adjusted for age. Black Colorado is 31%. 17% for Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

Although COVID-19 was the number one cause, all groups also saw an increase in unintended injuries, a category that included drug overdose. Suicide also increased in all groups except Caucasian Colorado, and deaths from Alzheimer’s disease increased in all groups except Native Americans.

Different rates are not just a Colorado issue. A National survey Using electronic health records, colored patients require more hospital care than Caucasian patients of the same age, gender, underlying health, and general socioeconomic status, COVID-19 It turns out that there is a high possibility of dying in. Asian Americans and Latin Americans were particularly hit.

Sarah McAfee, Communications Director at the Center for Health Progress, said the high mortality rate reflects the inequality that existed before COVID-19 and is not related to the virus itself. White people can protect themselves from the virus by working from home and are more likely to get financial cushions if they lose their jobs, but colored people are overkill for frontline work. An economic setback, which has been valued and may later be unreliable, she said.

“People who have the privilege of adapting their financial resources and their lives more easily will be better,” she said.

Frontline workers on the brunt

The Latin-American and Asian-American communities in Corona experienced similar casualties from COVID-19, with the virus accounting for more than 70% of the increase in mortality compared to the five-year average. Both reduced deaths from cancer and increased deaths from other causes of death in the top ten.

The proportion of patients in intensive care units, usually of color, roughly reflects the overall racial makeup of the community, is a professor of epidemiology and director of the Latin Research Policy Center at the Colorado School of Public Health. Dr. Fernando Holgin said.

This was not the case with last year’s COVID-19 unit, he said, with the highest number of sick patients being Latino or black.

“At the ICU, 90% of patients were Hispanic,” he said.

Working-age people make the virus more vulnerable relatives because Latino Americans are more likely to work at the forefront than white Colorados, rely on public transport, and live in crowded homes. Mr. Holgin said he was more likely to hand it over. Mexican-Americans are particularly likely to suffer from diabetes and obesity, and Latino-Americans in Denver live disproportionately in contaminated areas and are likely to suffer from poor health, he said.

Harry Budisidarta, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Development Center, believes similar factors have caused disproportionate sacrifices to Asian Americans, but the Asia-Pacific Islander label is for such diverse people. He said it would be difficult to tell because it applies to groups.

For example, recent refugees often work in front-line jobs and live in cramped situations, making it easier for COVID-19 to spread throughout the family, while more established families protect themselves by working from home. It may have been possible.Colorado Victim First identified outbreak, JBS Greeley Meat Packaging Factory was primarily Asian and Latino immigrants.

“If my son gets infected with COVID at work in a meat packaging factory, his grandparents and children will almost certainly get infected with COVID,” he said.

According to a recent report, Asian Americans are overvalued in front-line healthcare jobs, explaining some, if not all, of the inequality. Health problem research.. Some Asian subgroups are also more likely to smoke or have obesity-like conditions, which can also contribute to their higher mortality rates, the study said. It was.

Some states, such as California, have made it possible to categorize their statistics by national origin and elicit disparities within the Asian-American community, Budisidarta said. So far, Colorado hasn’t done that, so people trying to figure out who’s most hurt use California data as a starting point to see if what they find fits here. He said he needed to figure it out.

“Health data about our community is very scarce,” he said.

Economic turmoil may have boosted non-COVID deaths

COVID-19 has significantly increased the death toll of all ethnic groups, but explains that Black Colorado has fewer casualties.

The black COVID-19 mortality rate was the second highest after the Latino population in Colorado, but the virus accounted for only about 45% of the black population’s over-death. That is, despite the huge number of deaths from the virus, other causes further boosted mortality.

Black Colorado has seen the largest increase in mortality from unintended injuries, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes compared to the population. (In some cases, the other groups had a higher rate of increase and fewer deaths from these causes.)

Black and Latino Colorados are very likely to lose their jobs early in the pandemic, according to Holguin, with a number of negative health consequences.

Without income, people may not be able to afford healthy food, medicine to manage their condition, or care if they get sick. Some people deal with it in a healthy way, while others rely on alcohol or drugs or develop depression, limiting their ability to try to solve the problem.

“When you lose wages or jobs, the amount of stress is immeasurable,” he said.

Orgin is optimistic that more people will be vaccinated and the color community will begin to recover as the economy returns to normal, but the color family has a job that allows them to build. Increased financial reserves said it could take longer than the white community because it is unlikely.

“Their cushions against any disaster are very thin,” he said.