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COVID-19 impact on Houston neighborhoods
Baylor College of Medicine researchers say the COVID-19 positivity rate seems to be higher in zip codes with high minority populations as well as zip codes with fewer family, fewer relatives living together.
HOUSTON - Many of our viewers have questions about how COVID-19 deaths are reported, as well as why COVID-19 positivity rates are drastically higher in some neighborhoods compared to others.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have been studying COVID-19 positivity rates and trying to determine why certain zip codes have dramatically higher numbers.
So far they’ve identified two key factors. As a very new virus continues to sweep the nation, researchers are studying its impact on Houston where Houston Health Department data shows a more than 30 percent COVID-19 positivity rate in some zip codes and a less than 20 percent positivity rate in other zip codes, meaning of all tests taken for residents of that zip code, less than 20 percent of them came back positive.
“Something that stayed consistent in all the analysis we’ve done is that race and ethnicity -- neighborhoods with more minority population have higher rates,” said Abi Oluyomi, assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.
Just over four months into the pandemic in Houston, Baylor College of Medicine researchers say the COVID-19 positivity rate seems to be higher in zip codes with higher minority populations as well as in zip codes with fewer families--fewer relatives living together.
“Students living together as roommates—they still go out and have fun without being necessarily as protective as they should be,” said Oluyomi.
Oluyomi says researchers still have to analyze the role your line of work plays in your chances of catching COVID-19. They’re also going to study the virus’ impact on immigrant populations.
And what about death rates? Harris County Public Health is currently reporting 575 of its residents have died of COVID-19, while the Harris County Medical Examiner has only reviewed and reported 98 deaths as COVID-19 related.
Doctor Sherri Onyego with Harris County Public Health says not all COVID-19 deaths are sent to the medical examiner for review.
“There are other healthcare personnel that are involved in these decisions: medical epidemiologists, public health workforce as well as other health care professionals,” said Onyego.
She says capacity is a factor at the medical examiner’s office.
“In terms of capacity issues, that certainly is a limiting factor to be able to have all of those deaths be something that the medical examiner’s office to take on,” said Onyego.
The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office, also known as the Institute of Forensic Sciences, is prepared for the possibility of a surge in cases, and while they are busy, they are not at a surge capacity as of yet, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office told FOX 26.
Deaths by contagious disease are often sent to medical examiners for certification, and it’s unclear why less than one-fifth of Harris County’s COVID-19 deaths have been certified by the medical examiner.