As time goes on, the truth grows more apparent.

Further data has confirmed Latinx individuals are the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Already present discrepancies in the U.S. health system have proved disastrous for the Latinx community, and they are mostly felt in California, where the Latinx population is the demographic majority.

COVID-19 has killed at least 12,825 people in Los Angeles County, 41% of which are Latinx. 

Frontline “essential” workers see a unique situation in California as well and are mostly comprised of Latinx workers, either from in-state or abroad. Over time, it’s become clear that these are the lives most at risk. 

COVID-19 deaths in California among working-age Latinx people skyrocketed over three months, according to new research released by professors at the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health.

Research by Professors David Hayes-Bautista and Paul Hsu revealed an increase in death rates in Latinx age groups across the board: Young adults (18-34), early middle age (35-49), and late middle-age (50-69).

The professors found that from May 11 to Aug. 11, the progression of coronavirus-related deaths in all three working-age groups increased by five times. The death rate was the highest for middle-aged Latinx individuals — 25 times higher than the death rate among young adults. 

“As the coronavirus works its deadly way into every nook and cranny of California’s population, its victims’ profiles become clearer and clearer,” reads the report. 

“They are the unsung essential workers. Different from the high-profile essential workers such as physicians, nurses, first responders, etc., the unsung essential workers are farmworkers who feed California, truck drivers who transport the state’s goods, meat and vegetable packers, the grocery industry’s shelf stockers, and checkout clerks, construction workers, automobile mechanics, gardeners and landscapers, bus drivers, office cleaners, nursing home attendants, and others who toil day and night to keep California functioning,” it continues.

Last month, Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL), along with the Hispanic Caucus, made a case to address the current healthcare system, which has exposed the racial disparities that have always put BIPOC at a disadvantage. Asks for critical funds to be included in the next coronavirus legislative package — whether it be the Democrats’ or the GOP’s.

There has yet to be a decision on the next COVID-19 relief package, and as the November election looms, there may indeed never be a follow-up.

COVID-19 has highlighted the dark truths of our nation and the U.S. healthcare system, one rooted in racism and inequity. And in this case, Latinx workers are the most affected by this system.