THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE US AND UK: AN INTERNATIONAL SCOPING REVIEW

Context: The United States and the United Kingdom are characterized by underfunded public health in the context of racist systems. We reviewed differences in Covid-19 outcomes between groups in the US and UK and compared intergroup differences between the two countries.

Methods: The scoping review analyzed articles published in English during the Covid-19 pandemic focusing on morbidity and mortality in the US or the UK. Using Scopus and PubMed, research articles were chosen based on titles, abstracts, and relevance to the research question. Data were extracted by the first author and reviewed by senior authors. 63 studies met the inclusion criteria.

Results: Two studies compared the US and UK. One found that in both countries, minority status is an important social determinant of health (SDOH) of Covid-19 related health outcomes. Another found that the risk of confirmed infection was higher in minority populations in both countries, compared with their respective White peers. Asian ethnicity is subject to different definitions in these countries. Individual articles focusing on either the US or the UK also found that, in both countries, essential workers were impacted; those with disabilities and people living in multigenerational families were more often affected by Covid-19 related comorbidities.

Discussion: Literature indicates that in the US and the UK, non-White populations were more affected by Covid-19, possibly due to the association of SDOH with racist systems. In both countries, racial definitions need further research, and data focused on LGBTQ+ groups and people with disabilities is lacking.

Zachary Berger, MD, PhD – Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health – Johns Hopkins; Mehrunisha Suleman, MA, MSc, BMBCh, DPhil, FHEA, 'Alimiyya – Ethox Centre – University of Oxford, Oxford, UK