WA Coronavirus Hospitalizations Show Racial Disparities: Study

SEATTLE — Black Washingtonians accounted for 6 percent of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the state while making up just 3.9 percent of the state's population, according to a new study examining COVID-19 hospitalizations by race and ethnicity published in JAMA Monday. The study also found a large hospitalization disparity in the state's Hispanic residents as well.

For that study, researchers looked at COVID-19 hospitalizations over an extended period from May 6 to June 24 in 12 states that provided a breakdown of that data by race and ethnicity.

"This analysis identified considerable disparities in the prevalence of COVID-19 across racial/ethnic subgroups of the population in 12 US states," the study's authors wrote.

In all 12 states, white patients made up a substantially smaller population of hospitalizations as compared to their overall share of the state population. In Washington, white patients made up 53.9 percent of hospitalizations while being 68 percent of the state population, the study says.

The percentage of hospitalizations among Black patients exceeded their overall share of the state population in all 12 states, the study found. The difference was the greatest in Ohio, followed by Minnesota, Indiana and Kansas.

Among Hispanic patients hospitalized for COVID-19, the share of hospitalizations was greater than their overall share of the state population in 10 states, the study said.

Here's the overall breakdown for Washington:

Hispanic: 25.1 percent of hospitalizations, 12.9 percent of overall state population.

Black: 6 percent of hospitalizations, 3.9 percent of overall state population.

American Indian and Alaskan Native: 1.3 percent of hospitalizations, 1.3 percent of overall state population.

Asian: 8.7 percent of hospitalizations, 9.1 percent of overall state population.

White: 53.9 percent of hospitalizations, 68 percent of overall state population

The study found among states that reported COVID-19 hospitalizations for Asian patients, the proportion of hospitalizations was lower in six of the 10 states than the overall share of the Asian population in those states.

Data for American Indian and Alaskan Natives was reported by only eight states but there was a substantial disparity in select states, the study said.

The study's authors wrote that the results highlight the need for there to be consistency in how states report coronavirus data.

The study did not look at age, sex, comorbidities or socioeconomic factors associated with hospitalizations.

Patch Staffer Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report.