Listening to Latinx Patient Perspectives on COVID-19 to Inform Future Prevention Efforts

Although Latinx populations continue to experience higher rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and related hospitalizations and deaths compared with White individuals,^1,2 the perspectives of Latinx COVID-19 survivors and their families, particularly immigrants, have not been well appreciated. In a qualitative study, Cervantes and colleagues³ conducted interviews of Latinx individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 to identify factors associated with disparities in rates of COVID-19 and related hospitalizations and deaths and to inform public health and health care efforts to control the pandemic. The authors presented themes from 60 interviews with a diverse group of Latinx individuals, including Spanish-speaking persons and immigrants, who experienced the disease first hand. Their findings highlight the important need to address factors that contribute to distrust in the health care system and misinformation about COVID-19 to successfully prevent and treat the disease in Latinx communities. Building trust requires engaging Latinx communities, and this engagement will be especially important as we move toward vaccinating those who have been most impacted by COVID-19.