Racial and Socioeconomic Equity of Tecovirimat Treatment during the 2022 Mpox Emergency, New York, New York, USA

Emerg Infect Dis. 2023 Nov;29(11):2353-2357. doi: 10.3201/eid2911.230814. Epub 2023 Oct 5.

Abstract

We assessed tecovirimat treatment equity for 3,740 mpox patients in New York, New York, USA, during the 2022 mpox emergency; 32.4% received tecovirimat. Treatment rates by race/ethnicity were 38.8% (White), 31.3% (Black/African American), 31.0% (Hispanic/Latino), and 30.1% (Asian/Pacific Islander/other). Future public health emergency responses must prioritize institutional and structural racism mitigation.

Keywords: New York; New York City; United States; emergencies; health equity; mpox; racism; sexually transmitted infections; tecovirimat; viruses.

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander / statistics & numerical data
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
  • Hispanic or Latino / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Mpox (monkeypox)* / epidemiology
  • Mpox (monkeypox)* / ethnology
  • Mpox (monkeypox)* / therapy
  • New York / epidemiology
  • Race Factors / statistics & numerical data
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • White / statistics & numerical data

Substances

  • tecovirimat
  • Antiviral Agents