Colorado COVID-19 data shows minorities disproportionately affected

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says statewide hospitalization data for COVID-19 is following unsettling national trends.

The agency says it has been collecting data on the demographics and outcomes of Coloradans who have been hospitalized due to the novel coronavirus. The data will be released Friday at 4 p.m. on the state website.

CDPHE says it began collecting the data in May as part of Public Health Order 20-27, which asks hospitals to submit demographic data on patients treated during the pandemic. About 55% of statewide hospitals have submitted the information, accounting for 91% of COVID-19 patients treated in hospitals.

From March 1 through Aug. 15 (the period for which CDPHE currently has data), statewide trends suggest:

• Black and Hispanic people have been hospitalized at disproportionately high rates compared to their representation in Colorado’s population.
  • Hispanic people have accounted for nearly 38% of all hospitalized patients; although they represent about 22% of Colorado’s overall population. At one point in May, more than 50% of the patients in hospitals were Hispanic.
  • Nearly 10% of hospitalized patients were Black; although Black people make up only 4.6% of Colorado’s overall population. The trend appears to have improved over time. In late March, more than 14% of hospitalized patients were Black; by late July, this decreased to fewer than 4% of hospitalized patients and has hovered between 6% and 8% in August.
  • White people were disproportionately less likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19, accounting for 41% of hospitalized patients despite representing nearly 68% of Colorado’s population.
• Men were 6% more likely to be hospitalized than women: 53% of hospital patients were male vs. 47% female.
• Although COVID-19 tends to have worse outcomes for older adults, people of all ages suffer severe enough symptoms to be hospitalized.
  • About half of hospitalized patients were 60 or older. 
  • The greatest number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 were 50-69 years old, accounting for nearly 40% of all hospitalizations.
  • Nearly one-third of hospitalized patients (31%) were younger than 50 years old. 
  • Children and teens were the least likely to be hospitalized, accounting for fewer than 3% of hospitalizations.
• Of the people who were hospitalized due to COVID-19-related symptoms:
  • 94% tested positive for COVID-19.
  • 33% spent time in the ICU.
  • 17% of ICU patients died.
  • 8% of patients who did not need ICU treatment died.(Note: it is not accurate to add these two death figures together, as they each represent a percentage of two different hospital populations.)
  • 20% required a ventilator.
  • Those who survived spent an average of 9 days in the hospital. 

CDPHE Executive Director Jill Hunsaker-Ryan says the data shows how serious the effects of coronavirus can be, and confirms that it is disproportionately affecting certain members of our population.

“This hospitalization data is another example of how historical inequities negatively impact health outcomes. That fact is especially apparent during emergencies like the pandemic,” said Hunsaker-Ryan.

“CDPHE, the state of Colorado, and our local partners are dedicated to eradicating these longstanding inequities. It’s why we are investing in community-based testing sites and multilingual communications, as well as fostering robust stakeholder engagement.”