Latino Invisibility in the Pandemic

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Devastating effects of COVID-19 among Latinos have not been adequately emphasized or addressed by media, public health experts, researchers, or government officials.Moreover, the underreporting of the crisis' effect on Latinos and the undercounting of cases continues even as programs, initiatives, and policies are designed and implemented to mitigate the spread of the virus; to allocate resources to lessen the economic, educational, housing, and nutritional consequences of COVID; and to direct recovery planning.The invisibility and systematic neglect of the Latino population has contributed to Latino individuals' disproportionately high rates of infection, hospitalization, and death.Changing the COVID-19 narrative is necessary in order to ensure appropriate and equitable responses to the pandemic's effect on Latinos.Case With COVID-19 cases declining in the second quarter of 2021, media attention turned to growing concern over the new COVID patient: White, young, healthy-and hospitalized.1,2 These headlines erased the reality of the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the Latino community, contradicting what health care workers, family members, and community members have been experiencing since April 2020.Because the Latino population is so much younger than the total population (ie, up to 59% of Latinos vs 46% in the total population are under the age of 35), COVID cases and death from COVID among the young was nothing "new" in the Latino population.3