Minority groups in London and Middlesex County are being disproportionately hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new figures from local public health officials.
A report going to Thursday's board of health meeting indicates 27 per cent of all cases of the virus in the region involve patients who identify as a member of a visible minority. That is despite visible minorities only representing 17 per cent of the area's population, according to figures from 2016.
In April, the Middlesex London Health Unit began collecting socio-economic data, including race, gender, and income, from all locals diagnosed with the virus. The health unit voluntarily undertook this initiative and was among the first to do so in order to capture social determinants of health.
"The importance of social determinants has been highlighted in the COVID-19 pandemic, with early studies demonstrating inequities in the burden of infection internationally," the report states. "The collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on the social determinants of health helps to influence and inform actions that can rectify and address health inequities."
Health unit staff collected race information from 87 per cent of all local cases and income figures from 86 per cent.
Of those who disclosed their household income, 27.5 per cent indicated annual earnings of less than $60,000, while 31 per cent listed an income greater than $60,000. Another 30 per cent stated they didn't know their household income and 11.5 per cent chose not to answer the question.
The median household income before tax in Middlesex-London was $64,797 in 2015.
The health unit is working with provincial and national health officials to standardize the indicators and methods used to collect and analyze data on race and other social determinants.
"This ongoing work will help to inform decisions and next steps in the Health Unit’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, informing the development of targeted health promotion strategies and effective case management and contact tracing techniques," according to the report.
