key: cord-1055074-f4zll3d0
authors: Thorlu-Bangura, Zareen; Manisty, Charlotte; Banerjee, Amitava
title: Understanding Race and Ethnicity in Cancer and CV Disease: COVID-19 and a Roadmap for Change
date: 2021-06-15
journal: JACC CardioOncol
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccao.2021.02.008
sha: 26247080c669956df9c55e0894eee6b66a2ec5ba
doc_id: 1055074
cord_uid: f4zll3d0

nan

T he coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has disproportionately affected many racially and ethnically diverse communities, with up to twice the risk of infection and intensive care admission and 22% increased risk of mortality in the non-White population (1) . The result has been an urgent concerted effort to mitigate these racial and ethnic inequities, with a focus on the potential biological, structural, and behavioral causes. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated pre-existing inequities, similar racial and ethnic differences in risk and outcomes have existed across cancers and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) over many decades (1) . Siloed approaches to health care are unlikely to be effective during the pandemic, particularly for high-risk, multimorbid, multiracial, and ethnic patient groups. Our viewpoint is that there may be lessons from current work in COVID-19, which could be used as strategies to overcome the racial and ethnic disparities in cancer and CVD outcomes. High-risk individuals in racially and ethnically diverse individuals are more likely to be "key"

workers, on zero-hour contracts, and use public transport, and are less likely to complain about lack of personal protective equipment (6) . Twitter: @amibanerjee1, @dr_manisty.

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