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Survey: African-Americans closely following coronavirus news

The Rev. Daryl Gray of the Clergy Coalition hands out two face masks at the Lively Stone Church of God in St. Louis on May 26. Pew Research said Friday that African Americans are following news about the coronavirus more closely than any other racial or ethnic group. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
The Rev. Daryl Gray of the Clergy Coalition hands out two face masks at the Lively Stone Church of God in St. Louis on May 26. Pew Research said Friday that African Americans are following news about the coronavirus more closely than any other racial or ethnic group. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

June 5 (UPI) -- African-American people have been following news reports and other information about the coronavirus outbreak closer than any other racial or ethnic group, a new survey by the Pew Research Center said Friday.

Disproportionately affected by COVID-19, African-American people are discussing it more frequently than white and Latino people and following information about the virus more.

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In a survey of U.S. adults taken April 20-26, 26 percent of African Americans said they talked about the coronavirus pandemic "almost all the time" and another 27 percent said they talked about it "most of the time."

Only 10 percent of white respondents said they talked about it "almost all of the time" and 32 percent said they did "most of the time." Nineteen percent of Latino respondents said they talked about the pandemic "almost all of the time" and 27 percent said they did "most of the time."

In revealing what news they are closely following about the coronavirus, 55 percent of African American respondents said they care closely following the "health impact on people like me." Forty-three percent of Latino participants said they are following such information closely and 36 percent of white participants.

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Forty-nine percent of African-American respondentss said they are following news about the number of deaths closely, 47 percent said they are following the ability of hospitals to treat patients closely and another 46 percent said they follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health organizations closely.

Thirty-two percent of Latino respondents and 31 percent of white participants said they follow information about the hospitals' ability to treat patients closely, and 43 percent of Latino and 34 percent of white respondents said they follow coronavirus death news closely. Forty-three percent of Latino and 39 percent of white respondents said they follow advice from the CDC and other health organizations closely.

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