Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ Across Texas and the nation, COVID-19 is deadlier for Black and Hispanic people.

The trend was already clear nationally and could be seen in local snapshots in Texas.

But new data on Texas coronavirus fatalities confirms stark racial disparities. bit.ly/2X8FQIn

2/ Hispanic Texans make up about 40% of the state’s population, but they account for 48% of its known COVID-19 fatalities.

Black Texans represent 14% of fatalities but just 12% of the state population. bit.ly/2X8FQIn

3/ By contrast, white and Asian Texans died at lower rates relative to their share of the state’s population.

4/ Experts say this contrast exists for many reasons, including social factors like income equality and access to health care, a higher likelihood of working on the front lines of the #COVID19 pandemic, and health disparities faced by Black and Hispanic residents.

5/ Texas’ southernmost county, Cameron, is home to just 1.5% of the state’s population, but it accounts for nearly 5% of its known COVID-19 fatalities.

89% of residents here are Hispanic and nearly a third live below the poverty line.

6/ Texas’ coronavirus death toll is almost certainly higher than reported — the question is by how much.

In Hidalgo, a majority-Hispanic county in the Rio Grande Valley, local officials are reporting more than 200 more deaths than the state is.

7/ In general, most deaths have been recorded in big cities, where most Texans live.

But even in bigger urban areas, some whiter, wealthier counties seem to be faring better than poorer counties with more diverse populations.

8/ We reported on how Black Texans feared these outcomes near the onset of the the pandemic due to existing health care disparities and systemic racism: bit.ly/2EscSwG

9/ In Harris County, the state’s largest, Hispanic Texans are catching the coronavirus at higher rates and suffering some of the worst outcomes.

With @propublica/@NBCNews: bit.ly/3ghVIAa

10/10 And few regions in Texas have been as ravaged by the virus as the Rio Grande Valley, where more than 90% of the population is Hispanic. bit.ly/30WQqDC