“They don’t have access to healthy food, which is one of the reasons they have those conditions,” he said. “They also often don’t have college degrees, don’t have jobs where they can work remotely, sometimes have no insurance, and sometimes are afraid to call 911.”
In New York City, the Hispanic community currently accounts for 34% of COVID-19 fatalities despite being 29% of the city’s population, according to the state’s health department.
In the early days of the pandemic, the medical community believed COVID-19 was mostly a respiratory disease, with coughing initially and pneumonia as a complication. But doctors now have evidence that the virus can impact several organs, including the heart.
Among COVID-19 patients in China, cardiac problems have been a prominent feature of the illness in 20% to 30% of the hospitalized cases and contributed to 40% of the deaths, Kottiech said.
Patients with lung disease and shortness of breath experience diminished oxygen levels, which can lead to cardiac issues. Patients might experience an immune response called a “cytokine storm,” in which the body attacks its own cells and tissues and can affect the heart muscle and cause congestive heart failure, Kottiech said. This inflammation also can trigger blood clotting, which is especially dangerous in people with underlying heart conditions.
