Trends in the distribution of COVID-19 deaths by age and race/ethnicity - United States, April 4-December 26, 2020.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority groups [1–5]. COVID-19 infection and mortality rates are higher among Hispanic/Latino, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations than non-Hispanic White populations [5]. Although most U.S. COVID-19 deaths have occurred among adults aged ≥65 years, younger persons represent a larger percentage of COVID-19 deaths in Hispanic/Latino, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic AI/AN populations [1]. These racial/ethnic groups also have younger age distributions across the population generally [3], and face increased risk of COVID-19 infection and related morbidity and mortality as a result of many different factors such as the degree of occupational exposure, housing or residential risk factors, the prevalence of preexisting health conditions, reduced access to care, and structural racism [1], [2], [3], [4]. The proportion of deaths by age and race/ethnicity has changed over the course of the pandemic, with a recent report demonstrating growing percentages among the Hispanic population from May through August 2020 [5]. However, that report did not examine changes in the distribution of COVID-19 deaths by race/ethnicity across age groups (or vice versa) over the course of the pandemic in 2020. Moreover, it is unknown how patterns by age and race/ethnicity may have changed more recently, over the most recent wave of the pandemic occurring at the end of 2020. To examine this, we describe weekly trends in COVID-19 deaths by age and race/ethnicity from April through December 26, 2020.