CDC says racism "serious public health threat"

NEW YORK, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared racism a "serious public health threat," after a new wave of COVID-19 cases was witnessed in the country, reported USA Today recently.

Communities of color were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were more likely to be hospitalized or even die from the virus, the CDC said in a statement recently, according to the report.

The disparities of health care among different groups during the pandemic also underlines a serious problem in America - racism, the CDC said.

"Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin, or their race, or ethnicity, but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently," Director Rochelle Walensky said.

The CDC is taking steps to address racism as a major driver of racial and ethnic health inequities, the director said.

"Confronting the impact of racism will not be easy. I know that we can meet this challenge," he said.

The country recorded more than 31 million COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, with more than 560,000 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.