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. 2021 Sep 1;105(5):1261-1264.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0779.

Association between Preferred Language and Risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Children in the United States

William R Otto  1 , Robert W Grundmeier  2   3 , Diana Montoya-Williams  4   5   3 , Wanjikũ F M Njoroge  6   5 , Kate E Wallis  5   3 , Jeffrey S Gerber  1   3 , Katherine Yun  2   5   3
Affiliations

Association between Preferred Language and Risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Children in the United States

William R Otto et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on Black, Hispanic, and other individuals of color, although data on the effect of a person's language on SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. Considering the barriers suffered by immigrants and non-English-speaking families, we tested whether children with a preferred language other than English was associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Children from families with a preferred language other than English had a higher predicted probability of SARS-CoV-2 test positivity (adjusted odds ratio, 3.76; 95% CI, 2.07-6.67) during the first wave of the pandemic. This discrepancy continued into the second wave (adjusted odds ratio, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.10-2.41), although the difference compared with families who prefer to speak English decreased over time. These findings suggest that children from non-English-speaking families are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and efforts to reverse systemic inequities causing this increased risk are needed.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Spline-smoothed percent positivity over time from March 2020 to February 2021 for children in English-speaking families (red) vs. families who preferred a language other than English (blue). The shaded region represents the 95% confidence interval. The rates of positivity converged as incidence of COVID-19 decreased rapidly for all children in our region in February 2021. SARS-CoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. This figure appears in color at www.ajtmh.org.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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