Minority and socio-economically disadvantaged children are likely to have significantly higher rates of coronavirus infection, according to a recent study.
The study is published in Paediatrics journal. Monika Goyal (Children’s National Hospital, US), who was one of the researchers claimed that one of the reasons for this could be the socio- economic factors. These factors led to an increase of exposure to the virus, differences in access to health care and resources.
The study was held looking at data from a drive through/walk-up Covid-19 testing site affiliated with Children’s National. This is one of the first exclusively paediatric testing sites for the virus in the United States. In the first 1,000 patients tested at this site, the researchers found that infection rates differed much among different racial and ethnic groups. They noted that when about seven per cent of non-Hispanic white children tested positive for the virus, about 30 per cent of non-Hispanic Black and 46 per cent of Hispanic children tested positive.
Later the researchers grouped these patients based on their family income. Here also they came across much disparity in Covid-19 positivity rates. The researchers noted that when about nine per cent in the high income group tested positive, the infection rate among the lowest quartile was about 38 per cent.
However, the researchers have not yet given a clear explanation on why the disparity happens.
