Public Health Program, School of Arts and Sciences, MCPHS University, Boston, Massachusetts.
Am J Ind Med. 2020 Sep;63(9):817-820. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23145. Epub 2020 Jun 15.
There are racial and ethnic disparities in the risk of contracting COVID-19. This study sought to assess how occupational segregation according to race and ethnicity may contribute to the risk of COVID-19.
Data about employment in 2019 by industry and occupation and race and ethnicity were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey. This data was combined with information about industries according to whether they were likely or possibly essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and the frequency of exposure to infections and close proximity to others by occupation. The percentage of workers employed in essential industries and occupations with a high risk of infection and close proximity to others by race and ethnicity was calculated.
People of color were more likely to be employed in essential industries and in occupations with more exposure to infections and close proximity to others. Black workers in particular faced an elevated risk for all of these factors.
Occupational segregation into high-risk industries and occupations likely contributes to differential risk with respect to COVID-19. Providing adequate protections to workers may help to reduce these disparities.
在感染 COVID-19 的风险方面存在着种族和民族差异。本研究旨在评估根据种族和民族进行职业隔离如何可能导致 COVID-19 风险。
从劳工统计局当前人口调查中获取了有关 2019 年按行业和职业以及种族和民族就业的数据。将这些数据与有关行业的信息相结合，这些信息是根据在 COVID-19 大流行期间哪些行业可能或可能是必要的以及按职业接触感染和与他人近距离接触的频率来确定的。按种族和民族计算了从事高感染风险和与他人近距离接触的必要行业和职业的工人的百分比。
有色人种更有可能从事必要行业和职业，这些行业和职业更容易接触感染和与他人近距离接触。特别是黑人劳动者面临着所有这些因素的风险增加。
职业隔离到高风险行业和职业可能导致 COVID-19 方面的差异风险。为工人提供充分的保护可能有助于减少这些差异。
