Latino Community in Fruitvale Hard-Hit by COVID-19, Study Finds

A recent testing study of COVID-19 in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood has found that the Latino community there continues to be hit hard, with a particular impact to the Mayan immigrant community.

The two-day study tested more than 1,000 people last month, and found 39 with the active virus. But many more people had antibodies, showing they’d already had COVID-19.

About one in 10 people tested positive for the antibodies overall —  that number jumped to more than one-in-four for Mayan-speaking Latinos.

"According to some of the data, [Latinos in Fruitvale] have some of the most crowded living conditions out of most of the groups we've interviewed," said Chris Iglesias with East Oakland-based Unity Council.

"And a lot of them are essential workers. And they're still working."

Iglesias said the pandemic is hurting Fruitvale residents economically as well.

"We started seeing things, almost immediate needs in the community, around just the basics, like food," he said.

Researchers with UCSF, who conducted the study in partnership with community groups such as La Familia, found that over 60 percent of Mayan-speaking people in Fruitvale don’t always have enough to eat.

"The COVID PCR and antibody data confirm that Latinos in the East Bay are disproportionately infected with COVID-19," said Dr. Alicia Fernandez, professor of medicine and director of the UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence, in a statement. "More testing and targeted public health messaging are needed, as are efforts to make essential work safer," she said.

Iglesias and his organization are calling for more support from Alameda County, the state and federal government. Aaron Ortiz, CEO of La Familia, which provides mental health and community support services in the Bay Area, also asked the city and county for more help.

"We are begging you," he said.

— Alex Emslie (@sfnewsreporter)

This story includes reporting from Bay City News.