Omicron variant caused more deaths in Mass. in shorter period than delta did, new study finds | WGBH

“…The increase in mortality associated with the omicron variant disproportionally affected residents of color in Massachusetts, said [CEID Faculty] Dr. Cassandra Pierre, an infectious disease physician who is the associate hospital epidemiologist and the medical director of public health programs at Boston Medical Center.

Pierre said, before the omicron surge, the gap in COVID-19 deaths between Black people and white people was closing. But she said that gap widened again during the surge at the start of the year.

‘And there may be multiple reasons for that,’ said Pierre, ‘I mean, we do still know that our Black population is under-vaccinated relative to the white population. … I’m certainly sure that the Black population is un-boostered relative to the white population.’

She also said racial health disparities and impacts of the ongoing pandemic also contribute…”

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