The new study showed Black Covid-19 patients were 36% less likely than White patients to be treated with Paxlovid, and Hispanic patients were 30% less likely than non-Hispanic patients to receive t…
People of color — especially Black and Hispanic people — were less likely to receive Paxlovid and other Covid-19 treatments, according to aThroughout the pandemic, Black and Hispanic people have been aboutThe new study showed Black Covid-19 patients were 36% less likely than White patients to be treated with Paxlovid, and Hispanic patients were 30% less likely than non-Hispanic patients to receive the antiviral pill.
Racial and ethnic disparities persisted within the group of immunocompromised patients and across all age groups. The largest difference was between Black and White patients age 65 to 79, where White patients were 44% more likely to receive a Paxlovid prescription. Reasons for the disparities were not directly assessed in this study, but the researchers suggest multiple contributing factors, including disparities to access to treatment facilities.
Collecting demographic data in health care is always useful with a broader goal of making the system more equitable, experts say.