April 8, 2021

Differences in COVID-19 Testing and Test Positivity Among Veterans, United States, 2020

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

Keywords (Tags): disparities, testing

• US Veterans who are female, from racial/ethnic minority groups, had a low income, or had a service-related disability were more likely to obtain a COVID-19 test according to a retrospective cohort study with over 6 million veterans across 130 Veterans Health Administration facilities. Among veterans who were tested, those who identify as African American or native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander were 13% more likely to test positive than white veterans, while veterans who identify as Hispanic/Latino were 43% more likely to test positive than non-Hispanic/Latino veterans.

Ferguson et al. (Apr 7, 2021). Differences in COVID-19 Testing and Test Positivity Among Veterans, United States, 2020. Public Health Reports. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211009498