Pregnant Latina women disproportionately affected by COVID-19

NEW THIS MORNING...WE EXPECTTO GET AN UPDATE TODAY FROMOHIO'S GOVERNOR ON THE STATUSOF BUTLER AND HAMILTONCOUNTIES...BOTH ON THE VERGEOF BEING AT THE HIGHEST LEVELOF CORONANAVIRUS CONCERN LASTWEEK.IT COMES AS NEW DATAREVEALS THAT LATINAS MAKE UPMOST OF COVID-19 CASES AMONGPREGNANT WOMEN..THE CENTERSFOR DISEASE CONTROL ANDPREVENTION COLLECTEDINFORMATION FROM ELEVEN-THOUSAND PREGNANT WOMEN WHOTESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS- AND 45-HUNDRED OF THOSE ARELATINA.WCPO 9 NEWS REPORTERPAOLA SURO JOINS US LIVE WITHWHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKELOCALLY.WELL TIKI - THE NUMBERS TELLTHE SAME STORY HERE IN THEGREATER CINCINNATI ANDNORTHERN KENTUCKY AREAS.HOSPITALS IN THE AREA BEGANTESTING ALL MOMS THAT WERE INLABOR ABOUT 2 AND A HALFMONTHS AGO..

AND SIX WEEKS AGOWAS WHEN THE NUMBERS STARTEDTO RAISE SOME RED FLAGS FORTHE LATINO COMMUNITY.THE LOCAL NUMBERS -STAGGERING.."we've had 163 positivemothers for covid-19.

At it'smaximum we noticed 59 percentof mothers were positive forcovid-19 and identified ashispanic or latina."YET - NOTENTIRELYUNEXPECTED:"does that surprise you firstof all?the information youshared with me is not asurprise.

Hispanics areprobably the only groupgrowing in the state of ohioand our population is youngerand we have more kids perfamily!"AND THE REASONS WHYLATINAS ACCOUNT FOR MOST OFCOVID-19 CASES AMONG PREGNANTWOMEN - RANGE FROM THEIRACCESS TO HEALTHCARE TO WHERETHEYLIVE."many of them are essentialworkers and don't always haveeverything they need whetherthat be ppe or sick leave.they're more likely to usepublictransportation""they live in apartments wherethey are in close contact witholder brother - the spouse -you have 4 people in 2 roomsor 3 rooms and that is also acontribute to this.

The samethign with the africanamerican group."IN FACT - MOSTRECENTLY THIS WEEK - THENUMBER OF PREGNANT AFRICANAMERICAN MOTHERS WITH COVID-19HAS RISEN TO 31 PERCENT -WHILE THE NUMBER OF EXPECTINGLATINAS WENT FROM 59 TO 42PERCENT."latina mothers only make upabout 3 to 4 percent of ourmoms giving birth in thegreater cincinnati area so thedisparity is quite dramatic!"ALTHOUGH THAT NUMBER HASLOWERED - UNIVERSITY OFCINCINNATI - CINCINNATICHILDREN'S AND THE LATINOHEALTH COLLABORATIVE ARE DOINGA HOSPITAL AND COMMUNITY-BASEDSURVEY ON THISISSUE."we want to understand moreabout the knowledge communitymembers have of covid-19 andprevention of covid - 19 andbarriers they might experiencein being able to practiceprevention behaviors likemasking or social distancingand also accessing care"WHILE THE HISPANIC CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE HAS HANDED OUT FLYERSIN SPANISH EXPLAINING COVID-19AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OFYOURSELF - LANGUAGE BARRIER ISALSO ANOTHER FACTOR THEORGANIZATION SAYS COULD BE AREASON WHY THE NUMBERS ARE THEWAY THEY ARE.REPORTING LIVE -PAOLA SURO WCPO 9 NEWS.