Is the Gap Closing? Comparison of Sociodemographic Disparities in COVID-19 Hospitalizations and Outcomes Between Two Temporal Waves of Admissions

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted minority communities, yet little data exists regarding whether disparities have improved at a health system level. This study examined whether sociodemographic disparities in hospitalization and clinical outcomes changed between two temporal waves of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of primary care patients at Mass General Brigham (a large northeastern health system serving 1.27 million primary care patients) hospitalized in-system with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, categorized into two 6-month “wave” periods. We used chi-square tests to compare demographics between waves, and regression analysis to characterize the association of race/ethnicity and language with in-hospital severe outcomes (death, hospice discharge, intensive unit care need). RESULTS: Hispanic/Latino, Black, and non-English-speaking patients constituted 30.3%, 12.5%, and 29.7% of COVID-19 admissions in wave 1 (N = 5844) and 22.2%, 9.0%, and 22.7% in wave 2 (N = 4007), compared to 2019 general admission proportions of 8.8%, 6.3%, and 7.7%, respectively. Admissions from highly socially vulnerable census tracts decreased between waves. Non-English speakers had significantly higher odds of severe illness during wave 1 (OR 1.35; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.66) compared to English speakers; this association was non-significant during wave 2 (OR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.76, 1.36). CONCLUSIONS: Comparing two COVID-19 temporal waves, significant sociodemographic disparities in COVID-19 admissions improved between waves but continued to persist over a year, demonstrating the need for ongoing interventions to truly close equity gaps. Non-English-speaking language status independently predicted worse hospitalization outcomes in wave 1, underscoring the importance of targeted and effective in-hospital supports for non-English speakers. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40615-022-01249-y.