SALT LAKE CITY — If you are wondering if the COVID-19 reactions are overblown because you don’t see evidence of the virus in your community, count yourself lucky.
In some communities of Utah, the cases pile up at alarming rates, and they may be the communities with fewer resources and less space to socially isolate.
Utahns classified by the state Department of Health as “Hispanic or Latino” have as many confirmed cases of COVID-19 as non-Hispanic white Utahns, even though non-Hispanic white Utahns outnumber Hispanic or Latino Utahns by almost 6 to 1.
There’s no suggestion of greater susceptibility to the virus among Hispanics or Latinos. In fact, they are less likely to be hospitalized than their non-Hispanic counterparts.
But they are more likely to live in densely populated neighborhoods, and they are more likely to work low-pay essential jobs, according to the CDC.
This graph shows all of Salt Lake County’s zip codes in order from highest to lowest median home price, with the bars showing the rate of COVID-19. The highest rate of the virus is 1049 per 100,000 residents, meaning one in every 100 residents infected compared with the lowest rate of 107 per 100,000 or one of every 1,000 residents infected.
