9/17/2020
For every ten American kids and adolescents who die of COVID, eight are people of color, the Centers for Disease Control says in a study released on September 15.
Of more than 390,000 cases the CDC analyzed, 45% were Hispanic, 29% were Black, and 4% were American Indian or Native Alaskan. The data were from mid-February through the end of July.
The reasons for the disparities are the usual suspects -- pre-existing medical conditions, medical discrimination and wealth gaps that pervade low-income areas.
It seems that with many colleges and universities open again, we can add one more: College students' tendency toward risky behavior.
The CDC flags one major worry about its findings. Disproportionately, those who died were in the 18-20 year-old range, which is troubling because so many students have now returned to college, where they're almost certain to encounter sloppy testing as well as to be involved in large gatherings, such as off-campus parties.
Overall, in the population 65 and under, the death rate of people of color is double that of whites, even though 55% of COVID cases are among Whites.
Have you heard of superspreader events caused by college-student gatherings? Would you send your own kid back to college in person? Will colleges that opened have to shut down soon? Will colleges that are currently doing virtual-only have to stay shut for months longer to keep students safe?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-deaths-children-young-adults-color-deaths/?fbclid=IwAR0__0Qu4XmaiqdO_SHZV-qlx4kmOUA9MrUXATqZjUAeiMuuEalaSDlKh-I
Note: Different news stories have slightly different interpretations of the research. It's one of those convoluted academic studies. If you want to see it, go to:
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