Young people of color more likely to be hospitalized for coronavirus
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The majority of coronavirus hospitalizations among Latino/Hispanic Americans are among those ages 18-49, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Why it matters: As coronavirus cases surge among young people, their risk of severe infection has a lot to with their race or ethnicity.
By the numbers: People of color are much more likely than white Americans to be hospitalized for the coronavirus, even when age is accounted for.
- American Indian or Alaska Native people have an age-adjusted hospitalization rate around 5 times higher than non-Hispanic white Americans. Non-Hispanic Black Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans have hospitalization rates about 4.5 times that of white people, per the CDC.
- Minorities make up a disproportionate amount of coronavirus cases across the U.S., and their age-adjusted mortality rates are also much higher than white Americans'.
The bottom line: It's misleading for several reasons to say that young people have nothing to worry about when it comes to the coronavirus. One of those reasons is that it ignores the experiences of younger minorities.
Go deeper: Why the coronavirus pandemic is hitting minorities harder
