NORFOLK, Va. — New data coming out of the Health Equity COVID-19 dashboard is showing differences between races and ethnicities when it comes to vaccination rates, hospitalizations, and more.
The dashboard's latest results show people in the Black community in cities like Norfolk are more than three times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19.
In Hampton, the numbers are showing the Black community is twice as likely as the white community to get hospitalized.
Dr. Cynthia Romero, an Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), said these numbers aren't surprising, but they serve as a reminder of this ongoing problem. Romero also serves as the director of the M. Foscue Brock Institute for Global and Community Health.
"Some of the systemic racism and distrust that goes back decades continues to show itself in the distrust and the lack of access and utilization," Romero said.
Romero said the lack of trust in the vaccine and hospitals play a big factor in these disparities. However, EVMS and other institutions' latest research is finding the racial disparities with COVID-19 could stem from a biological reason.
Romero said some communities are experiencing more stress than others, which eventually impacts how their bodies respond to the virus.
"We know many of them have been undergoing significant chronic stress, which have created changes in the immune system and the response for these populations," said Romero, adding that some of the data they have been studying is still very new to their research.
The VDH dashboard shows it's not just the Black community seeing higher COVID-19 rates, but the Latino and Asian-American communities are also seeing slightly higher numbers in Hampton Roads. It also shows minority communities are not getting vaccinated as much as the White community.
Romero said EVMS has teamed up with health departments and hospitals across Hampton Roads to reach minority communities through mobile vaccine clinics and other programs this past year. However, she said it's not making a big enough difference to change the numbers seen here on the VDH dashboard.
In order to start reversing this long-time problem, Romero said it's going to take a team effort to create a more welcoming atmosphere in the health system.
"We need to continue to do some evaluations and analyses at all levels, from the biological perspective, to also the system changes, to healthcare delivery, and to provide information," said Romero.