Health Affairs reports that Asian Americans are facing higher Coronavirus fatality rates than the rest of the population.
In San Francisco alone, Asian Americans account for almost half of Covid-19 related deaths despite only making up one-third of the population.
In California, Asian American fatality rates are three times higher than the rest of the state’s population. Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and New Jersey Asian American fatalities account for over 10%.
Research suggests that socioeconomic factors have contributed to the high fatality rates among Asian Americans. 59% of the demographic were born outside of the US, which could result in health literacy and English proficiency issues preventing them accessing care.
Additionally, AAPIs account for a large proportion of frontline workers such as nurses, doctors, food manufacturing and food retail. Such jobs increase the risk of contracting the virus.
However, the research emphasises that the higher case fatality rate is not linked to Asian American ethnicity itself. Case fatality rates in Asian countries are significantly lower than Asian Americans in western countries.
In related news, 31% of Asian Americans were subjected to Coronavirus racism amid the pandemic.
