What is the health impact of COVID-19 among Black communities in Canada? A systematic review

Abstract

Objective The objective of this systematic review was to identify the health impact of COVID-19 on mortality, morbidity, hospital admission, and hospital readmission rates in the Black population across Canada. Methods A comprehensive search strategy consisting of relevant subject headings and keywords was executed in five databases: OVID Medline, OVID Embase, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, and Scopus. Additional searches were conducted for gray literature in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Google Scholar, and an advanced customized Google search for Canadian government documents. All eligible studies included in this review underwent quality assessment. Results Clinical health outcomes identified included mortality, morbidity, and hospital admission rates; none of the studies reported hospital readmission rates. The search identified 616 citations, and following the removal of duplicates and screening according to our inclusion/exclusion criteria, four articles were eligible for inclusion in the review. All of these studies were conducted in Canada. Study dates ranged from 2020 to 2021. Conclusion A systematic review of studies on the impact of COVID-19 on the Black population in Canada highlights two key points. First, the collection and availability of race-based data are necessary to clarify the impact of COVID-19 and other diseases on Black populations in Canada. Second, with the limited available data, studies suggest that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts Black populations in Canada, making up high shares of cases, deaths, and hospitalizations compared to most of the population. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.17269/s41997-022-00725-6.

Real world outcomes of distributing Lucira Check-It® COVID self-tests in Ontario, Canada: the GetaKit COVID study

“…Results supporting this include our uptake numbers, eligibility and positivity rates, and the fact that half of GetaKit.ca/COVID participants identified as BIPOC and 15% were from lower-income groups. This suggests that computer-mediated algorithms can be designed to correctly screen people in/out for testing [7,[11][12][13], including persons from the groups that were most affected by COVID infection and its sequalae [14][15][16]. While most of our orders for COVID self-tests arose from persons with prior engagement with the healthcare system, the algorithm did appropriately target testing, resulting in positivity rates that were comparable to those in COVID testing centres at the time [16].…”

“…This suggests that computer-mediated algorithms can be designed to correctly screen people in/out for testing [7,[11][12][13], including persons from the groups that were most affected by COVID infection and its sequalae [14][15][16]. While most of our orders for COVID self-tests arose from persons with prior engagement with the healthcare system, the algorithm did appropriately target testing, resulting in positivity rates that were comparable to those in COVID testing centres at the time [16]. That nearly half of our participants identified as BIPOC, when only 29% of persons in our jurisdiction (Ontario) are BIPOC [18], shows that systems such as GetaKit.ca/COVID can promote access for racialized persons.…”

Using Intersectionality Theory to Explore the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Black Canadian People's Health

“…As previously noted, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally impacted Black people and placed them at an increased risk of the virus due to anti-Black racism and SDOH. 31,86 Despite this fact, the current healthcare policies and interventions used by government agencies and decision-makers fail to reflect the multicultural nature of the Canadian population. 19 On that account, healthcare providers working with Black Canadians Using Intersectionality Theory to Explore the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Black Canadian People's Health are urged to adopt anti-Black racist policies that advocate for institutional change.…”

“…24,25 A current systematic review study examining the health impact of COVID-19 among Black communities in Canada revealed the devastating health impact of the pandemic on mortality, 26,27 morbidity, 28,29 and hospital admission. 30,31 In addition to physical health, the pandemic affected Black individuals' mental wellness, further impairing their psychological functioning and social wellbeing. [32][33][34] During the height of the pandemic, results indicated that Black Canadians had lower COVID-19 immunization rates (56.4%) compared to nonracialized groups (77.7%).…”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social determinants of health, mental health, and substance use among key populations affected by sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in Canada

“…FNIM peoples face inequities in health as a result of systemic and structural factors, such as colonization, loss of language and culture, and intergenerational trauma (Jongbloed et al, 2019 ). ACB people face systemic anti-Black racism that stems from historical slavery roots and extends to the education system and the criminal justice system (Collaborative Critical Research for Equity and Transformation in Health (CO-CREATH), 2022a ; Department of Justice Canada, 2023 ; Ezezika et al, 2023 ). Unique challenges for PWUD include precarious living and stigma associated with and criminalization of substance use (Russell et al, 2021 ).…”