Data from the Centers for Disease Control confirms COVID-19 is racist!
Looking at the CDC data it is clear that ethnic groups are affected differently by COVID-19. With ethnic Native American/Alaska Natives being by far the most hospitalized ethnic group in the US, and Black/African Americans not far behind. Based on US Census data Native Americans/Alaska Natives make up only 1.3% of the total population, and Black/African American 13.4%, yet these two groups represent disproportionally high rates of hospitilization.
The most recent United States Census officially recognized five racial categories (White or European American; Black or African American; Asian American; American Indian/Alaska Native; and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) as well as people of two or more races.
WikiPedia
Based on the 2019 US Census the US population breaks down with non-Hispanic whites = 60.3%; Hispanic and Latino = 18.5%; black or African American = 13.4%; Asian = 5.9%; two or more races = 2.8%; Native Americans and Alaska Natives = 1.3%; and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders = .2%.
Hospitalizaton rates by race/ethnicity ordered by numbers per 100,000:
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 1258.5
- Black: 993.5
- Hispanic/Latino: 805.1
- Overall (average): 643.2
- White: 476.2
- Asian/Pacific Islander: 341.8
CDC Weekly Hospitalization Rates
Looking at the weekly hospitalization rates Native American and Alaska Natives had the biggest spikes in spring 2020, then again in the winter months of 2020/2021, then more recently in late summer of 2021. Black/African Americans saw similar spikes, but at a lower rate. With other race/ethnic groups seeing far less hospitalization rates during the same spikes and overall.
No, COVID-19 is not actually racist but it clearly affects different racial groups (based on hospitilazation rates) differently. Native American/Alaska Native and Black/African American groups have been hospitalized at rates well above average. Hispanic/Latino groups are above average too. Whites and Asians are the only ethnic groups with below average hospitalization rates.
Certainly this can be intrepreted in more than one way and opens more questions (like are certain ethnic groups more or less likely to seek medical treatment?) but it is clear that COVID-19 does not affect everyone the same way, therefore one-size-fits-all policies are unnecessary, ineffective and likely harmful.