COVID-19 treatments were open to people of all races in New York | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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The claim: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul approved a memo denying medical care to white people

A May 7 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows an image of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul standing at a podium.

“Governor Approves Memo Denying White People Certain Medical Treatments,” reads the post from American Web Media.

It was shared more than 40 times in a day. The same user also posted the claim in January 2022, where it was shared more than 250 times.

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Our rating: False

The state health department said no one is being denied treatment on the basis of race, and the memo in question is several years old and and didn't come from Hochul.  A 2021 state health advisory outlined eligibility for a COVID-19 oral antiviral treatment, and one of the conditions was the existence of a medical condition or another factor that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 effects. The advisory states race and ethnicity should be considered as one such risk because of systemic health inequity, but it did not deny the treatment to white people.

State health guidance says race should be considered, does not deny white people treatment

The post in question is from American Web Media, a Facebook page and website with a history of publishing outdated and misleading stories. USA TODAY has previously debunked the site presenting old news as current about the JonBenét Ramsey murder, a bill to expel then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from office and the renaming of a school named after Abraham Lincoln.

This claim is even more outdated.

The post links to an American Web Media article that references a December 2021 health advisory, not a recent memo. It is from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and outlines the use of antiviral therapies Paxlovid and molnupiravir for COVID-19 treatment. It is signed by Dr. Celia Quinn, the New York City Health Department's deputy commissioner for disease control – not Hochul.

The advisory noted the supply of such treatments was limited as COVID-19 cases surged with the rise of the omicron variant. It outlined eligibility for the treatments, which included weighing at least 88 pounds, having mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms and having a medical condition or other factors that increase the risk for severe COVID-19 illness.

It said race and ethnicity should be considered when assessing a person’s risk for severe illness.

“Impacts of longstanding systemic health and social inequities put Black, Indigenous and people of color at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes and death,” it says.

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The memo said healthcare providers should adhere to the state health department’s guidance on patient prioritization given the “severe resource limitations” at the time. The linked document says "non-white race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor" considering aforementioned health inequities.

Despite the references to additional risks faced by people of color, the New York State Department of Health said the claim that white people were not given the same COVID-19 treatment opportunities is “patently false.”

“Neither race nor ethnicity would disqualify an individual from receiving treatment,” said department spokesperson Cadence Acquaviva.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to reporters about legislation passed during a special legislative session in the Red Room at the state Capitol on July 1, 2022, in Albany, N.Y.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to reporters about legislation passed during a special legislative session in the Red Room at the state Capitol on July 1, 2022, in Albany, N.Y.

Hispanic or Latino people are 1.8 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and 1.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than white people, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Black people are 2.1 times more likely to be hospitalized and 1.6 times more likely to die, and American Indian people are 1.6 times more likely to be hospitalized and 2 times more likely to die from COVID-19.

Lawsuits challenging New York's guidance regarding the impact of race and ethnicity on COVID-19 outcomes were dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 2022

USA TODAY reached out to Hochul's office and American Web Media for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The Associated Press also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim NY governor denied white people COVID-19 aid | Fact check