COVID-19 Trials Are in Need of Diverse Groups to Finalize Vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines are in need of more diverse people for their trials.
The search for the cure of COVID-19 is ongoing. The Mayo Clinic has said that non-Hispanic Blacks, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic and Latino individuals have a higher hospitalization rate compared to non-Hispanic white people. The rate range is around 4.7 to 5.3 higher than white people.
Inclusion of Black, Hispanic/Latino, & Native American communities in #COVID19 research is needed in order to develop vaccines & treatments that work for everyone. Trials should be as diverse as the people at risk for the disease: https://t.co/9cevztSbI1 #NIH pic.twitter.com/7XowjKv7lE
— NIH (@NIH) September 25, 2020
There hasn’t been any evidence that links people of color with biological factors that increases their possibility of contracting the virus. However, the CDC has stated that the area an individual lives could have increased the likelihood of getting the virus. Places such as New York City contains many different races, and since the city is densely populated, the spread of the virus is greater than areas with lesser population. Social distancing is also more challenging for highly dense populated places. In addition, poverty and the health issues of ethnic minorities are greater than white people, which increases the chance of getting the virus.
The type of job an individual has may also increase the likelihood of acquiring COVID. Around 25% of Black and Hispanic workers have service jobs and take public transportation to work. Service jobs involve a lot of interaction with others, and public transportation contains many people. This greater increases the exposure of the virus. The percentage of non-Hispanic white people is lower, 16% work in the service industry.
Primary care physician Paulette Chandler shared that to be sure a vaccine is effective for the majority of people, the COVID-19 vaccine trial needs more people of color. He stated, “We have communities of color that are really devastatingly affected by the virus, and we want a vaccine that works for all people. Unless we have a diverse group of people involved in the trial, we will not be able to generalize our findings to every group.” Without diverse groups in the trials, the cure for the virus cannot be determined and finalized.
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