Around 72 percent of Black patients with gynecologic cancer and COVID-19 were more likely to require hospitalization compared to non-Blacks, reports a new study.
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Nearly 72% of Black Patients with Gyn Cancer and COVID-19 Were Hospitalized for the Virus"
‘The underlying causes of racial disparities are multifactorial and include limited access to healthcare.
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Of the 34 patients (17.6 percent) who died from COVID-19, 14 (41.2 percent) of the patients were Black. Investigators found that the disparities in COVID-19 severity were driven by a higher prevalence of comorbidities among Black patients rather than aspects related to cancer or its treatment.
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"The underlying causes of racial disparities are multifactorial and include limited access to healthcare, social determinants of health, racism, and discrimination. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened these and brought awareness," said senior author Bhavana Pothuri, MD, MS, of NYU Langone Health.
"It is critical we learn from this and address these longstanding differences in health outcomes among Black patients not just in gynecologic cancer, but across all disciplines."
Source-Eurekalert