Findings From a Probability-Based Survey of United States Households About Prevention Measures Based on Race, Ethnicity, and Age in Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

ABSTRACT

We investigated individual behaviors taken by white, African American, and Latino United States (US) households in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and likelihood of using digital tools for symptom surveillance/reporting. We analyzed cross-sectional week 1 data (April 2020) of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Impact Survey in a large, nationally representative sample of US adults. In general, all groups engaged in the same prevention behaviors, but whites reported being more likely to use digital tools to report/act on symptoms and seek testing, compared with African Americans and Latinos. Individual behaviors may not explain COVID-19 case disparities, and digital tools for tracking should focus on uptake among race/ethnic minorities.