Objectives: Our study aims to explore the differential impact of this pandemic on clinical presentations and outcomes in African Americans compared to white patients Background: African Americans have worse outcomes compared to whites while facing heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS However, there is no current study to show the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the African American communities Methods: This is a retrospective study that included patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from two tertiary centers in New Orleans, LA Clinical and laboratory data were collected Multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors associated with adverse events Results: A total of 157 patients were identified Of these, 134 (77%) were African Americans (AA), while 23 4% of patients were Whites Interestingly, AA were younger, with a mean age of 63 ± 13 4 compared to 75 7 ± 23 years in Whites (p &lt;0 001) 37 patients presented with no insurance, and 34 of them were AA SOFA Score was significantly higher in AA (2 57 ± 2 1) compared to White patients (1 69 ± 1 7), p = 0 041 Elevated SOFA score was associated with higher odds for intubation (OR = 1 6, 95%CI = 1 32–1 93, p &lt;0 001) AA had more prolonged length of hospital stays (11 1 ± 13 4 days versus 7 7 ± 23 days) than in Whites, p=0 01 Conclusion: African Americans present with more advanced disease and eventually have worse outcomes from COVID-19 infection Future studies are warranted for further investigations that should impact the need for providing additional resources to the African American communities ekandil@tulane edu Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc All rights reserved
African Americans Struggle with the Current COVID-19