Race or ethnic group disproportionately affected

The epidemic of COVID-19 has elevated racial and social inequality and injustice in the public health sector. It has been demonstrated that health fairness is not yet a reality since COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted various minority groups, putting them at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. The minority groups encompass individuals of color from different origins and experiences. Numerous members of these clusters have had bad experiences, and some socioeconomic health determinants have traditionally stopped them from achieving good health (Mackey et al., 2021). Social determining factor of health are those in the living, working, and worshiping places that influence a broad spectrum of health risks and outcomes.

Data to compare the identified ethnic group

Studies have indicated that residents belonging to minority groups reported abnormally severe COVID-19–associated results in the USA. Cumulative data over time reveals persistent discrepancies in the number of Hispanic cases and Black people deaths (Banerjee & Arora, 2020). As of 15 February 2022, it was reported that a total of more than 61 million cases, for which ethnicity was known for sixty-five percent or more than 40 million, and more than 780,000 deaths, out of which race made 85 percent of the total. The study proposed that these communities require equal access to preventive interventions, such as COVID-19 immunizations (Banerjee & Arora, 2020). When the pandemic hit, American Indians, Latinos, Blacks, and Asians, were more likely than whites to be hospitalized, admitted in, or die in hospital. Another study indicated that during the first four months of the pandemic, it was demonstrated that semi Black individuals were disproportionately admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 and that minority communities, had higher hospital readmission rates than White individuals (Banerjee & Arora, 2020). Moreover, statistics on serious COVID-19 illness among other minority groups, particularly  Asian and Indian populations, and structured observations across all ethnic groups are lacking.

Reason for the high rate of infection within this ethnic group

There are different reasons for the high rate of infection within the ethnic group. For instance, discrimination exists in systems such as education and finance, which are designed to protect people’s well-being (Benitez et al., 2020).  Discrimination can cause toxic and prolonged stress which impacts the economic and social conditions that place some members of minority groups at a higher risk for the disease. Several minority groups confront significant hurdles to hospital access. Lack of capacity to take time off work, transportation, and insurance might make it difficult to visit the doctor. Interactions between patients and clinicians and the quality of health treatment are impacted by cultural and linguistic disparities between patients and providers. Housing is another issue resulting in high infection rates among the minority groups (Benitez et al., 2020). People living in a crowded environment can be tough to isolate yourself if you are or may become ill. Compared to Whites, more individuals from minority groups live in congested dwellings and hence may be more exposed to the disease. Last but not the least, some individuals have overall limited access to better education. Without proper education, it is more difficult for individuals to obtain professions that provide possibilities for decreasing COVID-19 exposure. People with restricted employment choices sometimes cannot quit jobs that expose them to the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Ways this disparity can be minimized

Several factors, including discrimination in hospitals, unequal opportunities, people’s norms, and social systems, interact to produce racial and ethnic disparities in health care. There is no simple way to eliminate health care inequities, but it is morally necessary to allocate adequate resources to address these gaps (“Social Justice and Health,” 2022). Working to improve access to good care, reshaping the healthcare system, enhancing linguistic and cultural awareness, diversification of the nursing workforce, and reducing disparities in social influences on health may end the inequalities gap and would significantly better the lives of all individuals and the nation’s future (“Introduction to COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities”, 2022). Inequitable ethnic and racial inequities in hospitals cannot be tolerated. Government policy should promote access to health care for all, promote preventative care, establish a more diversified health care staff, manage social health determinants, and boost research into the causes and remedies of racial and ethnic health disparities.

Conclusion

The background for understanding racial differences in medical treatment is racial inequality in social institutions. Discrimination is frequently reinforced by policies in the institutions and insensible unfairness centered on poor preconceptions, as opposed to the aberrant behaviour of a few. Efforts to address inequities in the treatment quality necessitate enhanced data systems, new initiatives, and increased regulatory monitoring to correctly train medical specialists and hire more doctors from underrepresented minority groups. It should be a national priority to identify and execute effective methods to eradicate racial disparities in health status and medical care.