Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Long COVID

• Published in: Social currents Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 203 - 215
• Main Authors: Louie, Patricia, Wu, Cary
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-06-2024
• Subjects: long COVID; health disparities; race; socioeconomic status
• ISSN: 2329-4965; 2329-4973
• DOI: 10.1177/23294965231215081

This study assessed the relationship between race and long COVID and the role that socioeconomic plays in this relationship. We analyzed data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau from September 14 to September 26, 2022. Of the 18,061 individuals in the sample, 4,927 (weighted 28.6 percent) reported long COVID. We used multiple logistic regressions to examine the association between race, socioeconomic status, and long COVID. We found that Black and Hispanic individuals shared similar odds of long COVID with White individuals. Only Asian individuals reported a significantly lower odds of long COVID as compared to White individuals. The relationship between race and long COVID was buffered by socioeconomic status (p-value <.001), but the effect size was 3 times greater among White individuals than among Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals. These findings suggest that support for groups with long COVID should especially be concentrated among individuals with low socioeconomic status. It is also important to address the barriers that limit the translation of high socioeconomic status into a protective health resource for racial and ethnic minorities.