As we pass the two-month mark since the first identified coronavirus case, the American public has yet to see comprehensive racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic demographic data on: testing, test outcomes, or COVID-19 patient outcomes.

It is imperative that both public and private agencies collect and publicly report this data to ensure we understand the role health disparities have in exacerbating disease burdens on marginalized communities.

This novel coronavirus does not discriminate, but it can and will take advantage of gaps in our institutions to exploit vulnerable communities. Without access to demographic data, we cannot adequately respond to the needs of desperate Americans or acknowledge the suffering being endured by our low-income and minority communities.

While Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley have led the charge on the federal level, we must also push our respective legislators and public health agencies to release comprehensive data. In this time that will inevitably define us as Americans, it is of utmost importance that we come together and support communities of all backgrounds.

Letter to HHS: https://pressley.house.gov/sites/pressley.house.gov/files/2020.03.27%20Letter%20to%20HHS%20re%20racial%20disparities%20in%20COVID%20response.pdf