Foreign-Born and Nursing Home Patients are Brunt of COVID Deaths in LA County

Many foreign-born persons, including children, have latent tuberculosis, which has similar symptoms with and increases susceptibility to coronavirus. 82 percent of the TB cases in LA County are from foreign born persons, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Poverty and place of residence comprise the overwhelming majority of the coronavirus deaths in LA County according to Department of Public Health report “COVID-19: Racial, Ethnic and Socioeconomic Data (see here – April 28, 2020).

37.1 percent of deaths were Latino, 18.4 percent Asian and 13.8 percent Black, comprising 69.3 percent of all virus deaths. 75 percent of these deaths were concentrated in lower income areas populated by foreign-born persons.

Hispanics reflected 69.1 percent of all virus-related hospitalizations, Asians 6.1 percent and Black 5.6 percent, comprising 80.8 percent of all hospitalizations.

Very few children are reported to become infected by coronavirus. But many foreign-born persons, including children, have latent tuberculosis, which has similar symptoms with and increases susceptibility to coronavirus. 82 percent of the TB cases in LA County are from foreign born persons (LACDPH).

Of the 2,195 virus deaths in Los Angeles County 1,127 virus-related deaths were people residing in nursing homes, or 51 percent of all county-wide virus deaths.

Shift in Public Health Policy Needed

Given the above data, cities, counties and school districts in minimally-affected areas should not be subject to stay-at-home orders or non-essential business shutdowns.

The data would also suggest that the public health strategies should be focused on children and foreign-born adults in lower income areas with a high proportion of foreign-born persons in a family. Children from families with foreign-born persons should be screened and tested for TB, as well as coronavirus, before re-entering public schools.

Nursing home deaths should not count in determining which cities and counties can open up from virus restrictions – see here. Coronavirus in LA County is a disease occurring in lower-income areas populated by the foreign-born and nursing homes.

The corona-virus outbreak in California has been mainly concentrated in two counties – Los Angeles and Santa Clara. This suggests that counties like Orange County with 137 coronavirus deaths, reflecting 0.004 percent of the population, should not have been subject to overkill business shutdowns and martial law.

LA City Neighborhoods and Suburbs with highest C-19 deaths – LACDPH

Neighborhood	Deaths	Deaths per 100,000 pop.	Percent Foreign Born	Number Foreign Born	Most Common Foreign Birth Ethnicty
City of Los Angeles
Little Armenia	30	374	57%	12,622	Hispanic 59%
Pico Union	56	134	64%	27,346	Hispanic 70%
Country Club Park	18	118	50%	11,007	Hispanic 56%
East Hollywood	35	119	66%	49,200	Hispanic 41%
Westlake	71	115	68%	70,181	Hispanic 54%
East LA (county)	36	29	49%	61,239	Hispanic 95%
Panorama City	34	47	55%	36,194	Hispanic 65%
Sylmar	39	47	37%	25,492	Hispanic 80%
Canoga Park	25	38	43%	22,782	Hispanic 57%
Northridge	28	40	32%	18,298	Hispanic 34%
City of Los Angeles	1,070	26	37%	1,415,020	Hispanic 49%
LA County Suburbs
Burbank	39	36	33%	33,623	Hispanic 24%
Torrance	45	30	30%	38,626	Hispanic 17%
Inglewood	54	47	28%	30,174	Hispanic 50%
Lynwood	31	43	38%	26,417	Hispanic 87%
Glendale	77	37	53%	108,826	Armenian 40% 53,840
Pasadena	82	58	30%	42,308	Hispanic 35%
Long Beach	75	16	25%	115,657	Hispanic 42%