Abstract
BackgroundExisting health disparities based on race and ethnicity in the United States are contributing to disparities in morbidity and mortality during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey of American adults to assess similarities and differences by race and ethnicity with respect to COVID-19 symptoms, estimates of the extent of the pandemic, knowledge of control measures, and stigma.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in COVID-19 symptoms, knowledge, and beliefs by race and ethnicity among adults in the United States.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey from March 27, 2020 through April 1, 2020. Participants were recruited on social media platforms and completed the survey on a secure web-based survey platform. We used chi-square tests to compare characteristics related to COVID-19 by race and ethnicity. Statistical tests were corrected using the Holm Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons.ResultsA total of 1435 participants completed the survey; 52 (3.6%) were Asian, 158 (11.0%) were non-Hispanic Black, 548 (38.2%) were Hispanic, 587 (40.9%) were non-Hispanic White, and 90 (6.3%) identified as other or multiple races. Only one symptom (sore throat) was found to be different based on race and ethnicity (P=.003); this symptom was less frequently reported by Asian (3/52, 5.8%), non-Hispanic Black (9/158, 5.7%), and other/multiple race (8/90, 8.9%) participants compared to those who were Hispanic (99/548, 18.1%) or non-Hispanic White (95/587, 16.2%). Non-Hispanic White and Asian participants were more likely to estimate that the number of current cases was at least 100,000 (P=.004) and were more likely to answer all 14 COVID-19 knowledge scale questions correctly (Asian participants, 13/52, 25.0%; non-Hispanic White participants, 180/587, 30.7%) compared to Hispanic (108/548, 19.7%) and non-Hispanic Black (25/158, 15.8%) participants.ConclusionsWe observed differences with respect to knowledge of appropriate methods to prevent infection by the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Deficits in knowledge of proper control methods may further exacerbate existing race/ethnicity disparities. Additional research is needed to identify trusted sources of information in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black communities and create effective messaging to disseminate correct COVID-19 prevention and treatment information.
Highlights
A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019; the virus quickly spread worldwide and was labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020 [1]
Reported cases are not stratified by race and ethnicity in all US jurisdictions or may be incompletely reported due to missing information, available data indicate the emergence of racial and ethnic disparities in the occurrence of COVID-19 [2], mirroring disparities that have been well characterized in other disease processes
We examined whether there were racial or ethnic differences in knowledge, stigma, and experience of symptoms during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019; the virus quickly spread worldwide and was labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020 [1]. SARS-CoV-2 can result in severe respiratory infection, causing coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The rapid spread and high estimated infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 coupled with the severity of COVID-19 led to widespread shuttering of businesses and implementation of mandatory stay-at-home orders across the United States. We examined whether there were racial or ethnic differences in knowledge, stigma, and experience of symptoms during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Existing health disparities based on race and ethnicity in the United States are contributing to disparities in morbidity and mortality during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey of American adults to assess similarities and differences by race and ethnicity with respect to COVID-19 symptoms, estimates of the extent of the pandemic, knowledge of control measures, and stigma
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