COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths Among American Indian or Alaska Native Persons — Alaska, 2020–2021

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Ward, Lowrie A. ; Black, Kelsey P. ; Britton, Carla L. ; Tompkins, Megan L. ; Provost, Ellen M.
• Description:
  American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons across the United States face substantial health disparities, including a disproportionately higher incidence of COVID-19 (1,2). AI/AN persons living in Alaska also face serious health and health care challenges, including access to care because 90% of the state's land area is inaccessible by road (3), and approximately one half of the state's AI/AN population (AI/AN race alone or in combination with another race) live in remote rural areas (4). To examine the extent of COVID-19-associated disparities among AI/AN persons living in Alaska, a retrospective Analysis of COVID-19 cases reported to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (AKDHSS) during March 12, 2020-December 31, 2021, was conducted. The age-adjusted COVID-19 incidence among AI/AN persons was 26,583 per 100,000 standard population, approximately twice the rate among White persons living in Alaska (11,935). The age-adjusted COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate among AI/AN persons was 742 per 100,000, nearly three times the rate among White persons (273) (rate ratio [RR] = 2.72). The age-adjusted COVID-19-related Mortality rate among AI/AN persons was 297 per 100,000, approximately three times that among White persons (104; RR = 2.86). Culturally competent public health efforts that are designed in collaboration with AI/AN persons and communities, including support for vaccination and other proven COVID-19 Prevention strategies, are critical to reducing COVID-19-associated disparities among AI/AN persons in Alaska.
• Subjects:
  Alaska Natives Cause Of Death COVID-19 Hospitalization Humans Indians, North American Registries Retrospective Studies
• Source:
  MMWR Morbidity Mortal Weekly Rep. 71(22):730-733
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• DOI:
  http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7122a2
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Pubmed ID:
  35653289
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC9169521
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Alaska ; United States
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Volume:
  71
• Issue:
  22
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f28c7692a2a83fbacae663cc9cf7a8539b347cbdaf70b5bc935253b49b3a608d92bd3682d1df1577db40d02a627a29cf7fc0ae653d46fb3c0899b34345749487
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/118554/cdc_118554_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 162.08 KB ]