Description
Purpose: Evidence suggests that older adults, racial/ethnic minorities, and those with comorbidities all face elevated risk for morbidity and mortality from COVID-19; but there are limited reports describing the potential for interactions between these factors. Methods: We sought to evaluate age-based heterogeneity in observed disparities in hospitalization, ICU admission, and mortality related to COVID-19 using CDC public use surveillance data on 3,662,325 COVID-19 cases reported from January 1 to August 30, 2020. Results: Racial/ethnic and comorbidity disparities in hospitalization were most pronounced during ages 20-29 and ages 10-19, with similar elevation seen for disparities in ICU risk. Racial/ethnic disparities in mortality were most pronounced during ages 20-29 while risk from comorbidity peaks among ages 10-39. Conclusions: As COVID-19 continues to affect younger populations, special attention to the implications for the most vulnerable subgroups are clearly warranted.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)
