Though Black Ohioans make up only 14% of the state’s population, they make up 27% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and 18% of coronavirus cases in the state. The COVID Tracking Project flagged the group’s case proportion as suggestive of ethnic disparity due to three criteria: it is at least 33% higher than the Census Percentage of Population, it remains elevated whether the project includes or excludes cases with unknown race or ethnicity and it is based on at least 30 actual cases or deaths. It is no secret that the novel coronavirus has disproportionately affected Black, Native American and Latinx communities across the country.
Researchers from Ohio State University found that Black Ohioans have lower life expectancy and suffer from more chronic diseases than other groups. I propose a story focusing on the social and health factors that disproportionately affect Black Ohioans and contribute to the large proportion of COVID-19 cases in the state.
Potential sources:
- Testimonies from Black residents who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus or families who have lost a loved one
- Ohio Department of Health
- Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, a social epidemiologist at Ohio State University
- Advocacy groups