A longitudinal study published Jan 30 in Frontiers in Public Health shows Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) Covid-19 patients in America had greater post-Covid-19 burdens than non-Hispanic, White peers.
The long-term negative consequences were seen in health status, activity level and missed work, despite White and BIPOC patients having similar initial symptoms of infections. The findings are part of the ongoing INSPIRE study, a collaboration of eight major academic medical centers looking at the long-term effects of Covid-19.
Hispanics reported more poor heath
“While we don’t know what caused these different impacts, we know that these populations can have a harder time accessing health care, which may complicate their recovery,” said study author Kari Stephens, Ph.D., of the University of Washington School of Medicine in a University of Washington press release on the study.
The study was based on self-reported differences in symptoms and health-related impacts three and six months after the first SARS-CoV-2 infection documented from December 2020 to July 2022. Included were 2,402 adults with Covid-19 and 759 negative controls.
Fourteen percent of Covid-19-positive participants were Hispanic, 11.0 percent were Asian, 7.9 percent were Black, 9.9 percent were other/multiple races, and 71.1 percent were White. Surveys included a list of 22 symptoms, including fatigue and shortness of breath.
At three months, Hispanic participants were more likely than non-Hispanic participants to report fair or poor health. But by six months, differences by ethnicity were not present among Hispanics. At three months, Asian participants were more likely to report fair/poor health at the same rate as White participants, but at six months Asians were more likely to report poor health.
Black participants report missing more work
At three months, reports of more than five missed workdays were similar across all race groups. But by six months, reports of missed work were much higher among Black participants. Compared to White respondents, Black respondents who had Covid six months prior were almost three times as likely to report missed work.
The authors said this difference may be due to the types of jobs Black Americans have compared to White Americans, including more often being essential workers.
“Higher loss of work days may be driven by the overrepresentation of minority populations in physically demanding frontline industries without the option to work from home,” the authors wrote. “Increased focus on understanding drivers of ethnic and racial differences in health impacts may inform approaches to advance health equity after SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
Stephanie Soucheray is a news reporter for CIDRAP News. www.cidrap.umn.edu.
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). University of Minnesota.
Support Black local news
Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.