UCLA health experts say Latinos hit hard by COVID because many are essential workers, left unprotected

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A discussion by UCLA health experts is challenging how we interpret data on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Latinos and other communities of color.

"Facts tell different stories, depending on who is picking them, and placing them in a narrative line," said Dr. David Hayes-Bautista/UCLA Center for the study of Latino Health and Culture. "People said 'well Latinos are going to have a high rate because Latinos tend to suffer from obesity they eat all these tortillas and chicharrones and do everything else they shouldn't."

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The country's leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and other medical professionals addressed the striking impact COVID-19 has had on Latino communities.

He instead points to the fact that many Latinos were deemed essential workers and left unprotected.

"This was happening around the country," said Dr. Hayes-Bautista. "The transportation drivers, metro drivers, bus drivers, the workers who cleaned the offices, the nursing home attendant."

The research takes a deep dive into inequities and discrimination amplified during the pandemic. Recommendations include not just continuing to increase testing sites in low-income communities of color and rapid testing, but also expanding food assistance programs and internet access.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is making Latino educational, economic and health inequities more extreme