The Impact of Health Disparities on COVID-19 Outcomes: Early Findings from a High-Income Country and Two Middle-Income Countries
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 infection, which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has affected lives, with very adverse outcomes
in specific populations in the United States of America (USA), a high-income country, and two middle-income countries, Brazil
and South Africa. This paper aims to discuss the relationship of race/ethnicity with COVID-19-associated factors in the three
countries. The information is based on data collected from infectious disease/epidemiological centers in the USA, Brazil, and
South Africa. Adverse COVID-19 outcomes have been associated with the burden of exposure and disease, linked to socioeconomic
determinants, among specific ethnicities in all three countries. The prevalence of comorbidities before and the likelihood
of work-related exposure in the context of COVID-19 infection puts ethnic minorities in the USA and some ethnic majorities and
minorities in Brazil and South Africa at greater risk. We envisage that this work will contribute to ongoing discussions related to
addressing socioeconomic determinants of health, and the need for stakeholders in various sectors to work on addressing
observed health disparities for overall improvement in health and healthcare given the current pandemic.