COVID-19 & Latino Health

Credit: The New York Times

Latinx Leaders Across WA Call for Culturally Responsive Policies for COVID-19 Recovery:

Read our policy briefs to learn how we can support COVID recovery and health equity for Latinx communities.


COVID-19 Policy Brief Series:

  1. Latino Views on COVID-19 Vaccinations: Understanding HesitancyReleased April 27, 2021.
  2. Depression and Anxiety among Latinos: Urgent Call for Mental Health ServicesReleased June 16, 2021.
  3. Vaccination Rates Among Washington State Latinos Remain Low as Delta Variant Emerges in the U.SReleased July 7, 2021.
  4. Examining Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Information Among LatinosReleased October 6, 2021.
  5. Vaccination Rates Among Washington State’s Latinos are Improving, but Challenges Remain. Released October 27, 2021.
  6. Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Latinos in WA State and its Toll on Women. Released December 9, 2021.
  7. New childcare, teaching responsibilities during COVID-19 pandemic widening educational gaps for Latino families. Released March 10, 2022.

Latino Legislative Day 2021:

A slide of Dr. Morales’ presentation on Latino Legislative Day, March 16, 2021

Watch the full recording of the event here: https://fb.watch/4idIbLOxfe/

COVID-19 and mental health:

“Protegiendo el bienestar emocional de su familia en tiempos de COVID-19” virtual Spanish-speaking panel hosted by the WA State Dept. of Health, Univision Seattle, and LCH.

COVID-19 vaccine:

A panel of Latino health experts answer frequently asked questions, debunk myths, and address concerns in Spanish regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
https://youtu.be/qc7lJSN4488
LCH Research Director Dr. Nathalia Jimenez answers questions in Spanish regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
LCH Research Director Dr. Nathalia Jimenez shares her experience of getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Spanish.

News articles:

COVID-19 spikes fourfold among Washington’s Latinos, and it’s reaching almost every corner of the population | published January 24, 2021 in The Seattle Times, citing Dr. Leo Morales
Disproportionately hit by COVID-19, WA Latinos brace for vaccine | published January 14, 2021 in Crosscut, citing Dr. Leo Morales

Webinar: The Burden of COVID-19 on Latinx Communities in WA State

On September 23rd, 2020, the Latino Center for Health (LCH) hosted a webinar to raise awareness of the largely hidden disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Latinx communities across Washington State and to amplify community- and state-led response efforts happening in our rural and urban communities.

https://youtu.be/24mEl29h22E
https://youtu.be/Nqd7pjAqfF4

News articles:

Farmworkers can’t pick apples through Zoom | published September 24, 2020 in KNKX following the webinar
El peso del COVID-19 en la población latina del estado de Washington | published September 23, 2020 following the webinar

COVID-19 Research

Understanding Washington Latinos’ Experiences around COVID-19

Principal Investigator: Dr. Leo Morales

In collaboration with Sea Mar Community Health Centers, this research study seeks to survey 500 urban and rural Latino patients across Washington State to better understand their experiences surrounding COVID-19, including experiences around health and wellbeing, housing, employment, immigration, safety, and attitudes towards vaccinations.

Findings will be disseminated in April 2021.

Codeveloping Culturally Relevant Messages for Farmworker Safety and Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic

A project to assess and address the need for public health messages dealing with the coronavirus outbreak and targeted to Latino immigrants in Yakima County received a UW Population Health Initiative COVID-19 rapid response grant in May 2020. 

LCH co-director Dr. Gino Aisenberg is one of the team’s six co-investigators of the project, along with doctoral candidate Maria Blancas, Dr. Carmen Gonzalez, Dr. June Spector, Dr. Edward Kasner, and Elizabeth Torres from Northwest Communities Education Center and Radio KDNA

Read more about the project here.

Partnering with the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) to Advance their Community Response Efforts

WAISN has assumed exemplary leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep immigrant and refugee families healthy through its COVID-19 community response efforts, including the statewide COVID-19 immigrant response hotline and online resource finder. LCH humbly offered WAISN its research and evaluation expertise and resources in community and solidarity to advance these efforts.

Under the leadership of Dr. Barbara Baquero and in partnership with WAISN representatives, a group of graduate students from Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, and Social Work conducted an impact evaluation of WAISN’s COVID-19 immigrant response hotline to assess the reach and impact of this community response effort for program improvement and to inform future emergency efforts. 

This group also participated in the WAISN healthcare access work group along with El Centro de la Raza, Northwest Health Law Advocates, and ACLU of Washington, and provided expertise in the development of a brief statewide survey to inform health equity for immigrants. This resulted in a campaign to increase access to healthcare services for immigrant communities.

Finally, this group of faculty and students helped WAISN boost its online resource finder by vetting healthcare organizations across the state that provide timely and adequate care for immigrants and refugees.


Other relevant news & peer-reviewed journal articles:

Understanding and Addressing Latinx COVID-19 Disparities in Washington State | published in 2020 by LCH affiliates Dr. Maggie Ramirez, Dr. Barbara Baquero, Dr. India Ornelas, Dr. Carmen Gonzalez, and Erica Chavez
Piden protecciones para frenar la transmisión del virus en los Hispanos | published July 28, 2020 in Univisión Seattle, featuring Dr. Gino Aisenberg
The curious case of Latinos and Covid-19 | published April 27, 2020 in KUOW, featuring Dr. Leo Morales
Interconnected: The Latino community calls for action amid high COVID-19 rates | published August 9, 2020 in The Seattle Times
WA to create $40M fund for undocumented workers hurt by pandemic | published August 10, 2020 in Crosscut
COVID-19 Death Rates Are Higher in Rural Counties With Larger Shares of Blacks and Hispanics | published in 2020 in The Journal of Rural Health