Indigenous population as an independent risk factor for COVID-19 mortality in Mexico

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the Mexican population. Indigenous peoples face structural conditions of poverty, marginalization, and limited access to health services, which could increase their vulnerability to the disease.

Objective: To evaluate COVID-19 lethality in the indigenous population in Mexico, estimating their relative risk and comparing it with other risk factors associated with the disease.

Material and Methods: An official database containing 900,934 confirmed cases was utilized. A mixed logistic regression model was applied to estimate the probability of death, considering comorbidities and indigenous group affiliation as covariates.

Results: A higher risk of death from COVID-19 was found for individuals belonging to an indigenous group in Mexico; the relative risk was 1,19 for 20-year-olds, decreasing with age to 1,16 for 80-year-olds. Comorbidities with elevated relative risks such as pneumonia, chronic kidney disease, and immunosuppression were also identified.  

Conclusions: Belonging to an indigenous group presents a higher lethality rate, thus constituting a significant risk factor, almost as relevant as the comorbidities that have been detected for COVID-19. This finding highlights the need for the creation of new support programs and specific public policies to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on indigenous populations.