Underlying Health Disparities Could Mean Coronavirus Hits Some Communities Harder

As the coronavirus spreads across the country, millions of Americans already struggling with health and finances — especially those in minority communities — could bear the brunt of it.

New data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that COVID-19 patients with underlying health issues in the United States are more likely to need treatment in a hospital — or even in an intensive care unit. They are also at higher risk of dying, according to earlier epidemiological data from both China and the U.S.

Because health and wealth in the U.S. are so often linked, the coronavirus could hit low-income populations here much harder, experts say.