Blacks and Hispanics were nearly twice as likely as whites to express concern that their access to Covid-19 vaccines and treatments will be worse than other racial and ethnic groups, according to a study published by Quest Diagnostics.
The study, which polled 2,050 adults from Nov. 10-12, found 21% of Black respondents and 17% of Hispanic respondents worried that their access to vaccines will be worse for them compared to other demographics, while only 9% of white respondents expressed that concern. Blacks and Hispanics also stated that their access to Covid testing, therapeutics, preventative care and quality Covid-19 care was inferior to access for people of other races.
On the flip side, 84% of whites were confident that they would receive the same life-saving care as people of other races or ethnicities if they contracted Covid-19, compared with 67% of Hispanics and 64% of Blacks, while 85% of whites trusted their doctors to save their life if they were diagnosed with the virus, compared with 79% of Blacks and 71% of Hispanics.
A closer degree of agreement came in whether in-person medical treatments or appointments were delayed or skipped during the pandemic: 67% of Hispanics acknowledged missing these medical visits, compared with 59% of whites and 58% of Blacks.
“Covid-19 has exacerbated longstanding inequities in health care, particularly among communities of color,” said Harvey W. Kaufman, senior medical director and head of the Health Trends Research Program for Quest Diagnostics, who added that the pandemic should force policy makers and medical providers to “take these insights to heart, particularly as our country embarks on an unprecedented vaccination campaign.”
