Navigating the Inequities of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Boston

By Kristin Meader, Public Hleath Major, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all Boston residents in some way—whether it be through virus exposure, business closures, overwhelmed medical facilities, or one of the numerous other ways the pandemic has impacted life. While the pandemic has presented challenges to many, not everyone is facing the same struggle, particularly in how different neighborhoods throughout Boston are navigating this new COVID-19 world. Recent data from the Boston Public Health Commission shows that the lowest positive test rates are found in Boston’s wealthier neighborhoods, such as Back Bay, which has a 4.5 percent positive test rate.1 On the other hand, lowincome neighborhoods, such as East Boston, are being hit much harder with a positive test rate at 16.5%—roughly four times higher than that of Back Bay.1 Looking at the data from the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Planning & Developing Agency Research Division, it is clear that an increase in a neighborhood’s median annual income leads to a decrease in COVID-19 cases, as seen in Chart 1. However, income is not the only factor causing inequities in the impacts of COVID-19 on Boston’s neighborhoods.

Racial health disparities have been present in Boston for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified them. While Black residents make up a quarter of Boston’s population, they make up more than 40% of the city’s COVID-19 cases.1,2 Due to a series of systemic factors, Black residents have statistically lower education levels and income levels, and live in communities with denser housing and fewer resources.3 Together, these contributing factors have caused the rates of COVID-19 to be nearly 2.5 times higher in communities of color when compared to predominantly white communities.4

Civilians from Boston’s low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to have jobs that both increase their risk of exposure and are unlikely to offer the ability to work from home.4 These types of jobs include cashiers, servers, and sanitation workers. Data from the spring of 2020 showed roughly 33% of Boston’s Black and Latinx residents physically went to work, while less than 15% of white residents physically went to work.5 Additionally, hardly any of the businesses employing Black and Latinx residents provided them with adequate testing for, despite the high risk of exposure at these jobs.5

Photo courtesy of Boston Public Health Commission

In addition to an increased risk of exposure at work, those from low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to rely on public transportation to get to and from work.5 Spending more time on buses and trains further increases their risk of infection. Furthermore, many people rely on public transportation to get around the city for work and other essential activities, such as grocery shopping. There are many disparities in food access, meaning that wholesome food is located further away from low-income communities and communities of color, making these residents more likely to take public transportation to grocery stores.5 Low-income community members are also less likely to be able to stock up on groceries, causing them to take more frequent trips to the grocery store than those from Boston’s high-income neighborhoods.

Chart 1: Data from Boston Public Health Department & Boston Planning and Developing Agency Research Division.

Research also shows that Boston neighborhoods also have different attitudes about the pandemic depending on both neighborhood and ethnicity.6 One study found that predominantly white neighborhoods were less likely to support preventative measures such as following social distancing guidelines and wearing masks. The same neighborhoods were more likely to exhibit high-risk behaviors, such as eating out or having large gatherings, whereas communities of color—who saw greater risks of exposure to infection—were more likely to abide by social distancing guidelines.6 Following social distancing guidelines helps to reduce not only the devastating health effects of COVID-19 but the economic impacts as well.

COVID-19 has greatly impacted the city of Boston’s economy, as seen by the entire community. A quarter of Boston’s employed population spent some time unemployed during the pandemic and a fifth of Boston’s population reported that their income had declined by a large amount due to COVID-19.7

While the pandemic hurt many, it has not hurt everyone equally. COVID-19 has widened the racial wealth gap in Boston, a city with one of the nation’s largest racial wealth gaps.8 Latinx, Asian, and Black residents were much more likely to have lost income than white residents.7 While many people lost their income, Boston’s most affluent residents were more likely to lose a small portion of their income, while those in the poorest neighborhoods were more likely to lose a large portion of their income.7

This pandemic has taken something from every resident of Boston. However, data and research make it abundantly clear that some people have suffered more than others, specifically those living in low-income communities and communities of color. Centuries of systemic oppression and racism have placed them in a position where they encounter more socioeconomic challenges and risk factors of disease exposure. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the effects of health inequality and shown that now more than ever, there is a need for an active effort towards health equity and justice.

[1] Boston COVID-19 Report - For the Week Ending 4/23/2020 (2020). Retrieved https://bphc.org/whatwedo/infectious-diseases/Documents/COVID19%20 Boston%20Report_2020_Week17.pdf

[2] Nik, D. (2020). Why Chelsea has been so hard hit by coronavirus | Boston. com. Retrieved 29 November 2020, from https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2020/04/10/chelsea-massachusetts-coronavirus

[3] Neighborhood Profiles (Boston Planning & Developing Agency Research Division.). (2017, August). Retrieved http://www.bostonplans.org/ getattachment/7987d9b4-193b-4749-8594-e41f1ae27719

[4] Dooling, S. (2020, April 30). Why Some Boston Neighborhoods Have Been Hit Harder By The Pandemic Than Others. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/04/30/covid-19-coronavirus-bostonneighborhoods

[5] O’Brien et al. (2020). Living in Boston During COVID-19: Inequalities in Navigating a Pandemic (Rep. No. 1). Retrieved https://cssh.northeastern. edu/bari/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/12/Report-1-Inequities-inNavigating-a-Pandemic-6.pdf

[6] O’Brien et al. (2020). Living in Boston During COVID-19: Fear and Ambivalence (Rep. No. 2). Retrieved https://cssh.northeastern.edu/bari/wpcontent/uploads/sites/30/2020/12/Report-2-Fear-and-Ambivalence-1.pdf

[7] O’Brien et al. (2020). Living in Boston During COVID-19: Economic Strains (Rep. No. 3). Retrieved https://cssh.northeastern.edu/bari/wp-content/ uploads/sites/30/2020/12/NSF-Report-3-Economic-Impact.pdf

[8] Muñoz, A. P., Kim, M., Chang, M., Jackson, R. O., Hamilton, D., & Darity, W. A., Jr. (2015, March 15). The Color of Wealth in Boston (Rep.). Retrieved https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/one-time-pubs/color-of-wealth.aspx