Now that more statistics have been amassed, however, it is becoming clear that health disparities are again with us. Disparities don't exist everywhere, but they do in a lot of places. Following are several articles I've collected, to facilitate discussion of the topic.
- The Guardian (UK)
- Kaiser Health News
- NBC News
- The Hill (Capitol Hill, Washington DC)
- NBC Miami
- MSNBC (video)
- 538 (site for quantitative analysis of politics, policy, and sports)
I think that recognizing these health disparities is important. Many people don't seem to understand that some people don't have the same privileges as them, which can cause misunderstanding and a lack of sympathy. I think it is possible that the COVID outbreak may bring more light to the health disparities in our country, possibly leading us toward change, which would be a great benefit to this horrifying outbreak we are facing currently.
ReplyDeleteI read the the article in the first link (The Guardian UK) and was incredibly shocked to learn that a large portion of the deaths due to the coronavirus are black individuals. I'm surprised because I remember reading/hearing (I can't remember) a few weeks ago that most of the people who were dying from the coronavirus were white, older people or people with who had pre-existing health issues, but were also white. Although, after reading the article, I can understand why this is the case. I think the following quote, which I pulled from the article, summarizes the main points in it:
ReplyDelete"...while the virus doesn’t discriminate, Dr Uché Blackstock, practitioner and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, a healthcare advocacy group, said government responses can."
I think it's important to acknowledge the fact that many individuals from low-income backgrounds, which are often minority non-white groups, aren't getting the medical care they need, which can increase the death toll in these areas. Adding to this, I wonder if overall discrimination can increase stress on the body and increase a person's chances of dying from the virus. We've discussed how environment stressors, such as discrimination and divorce, can affect pregnant women or individuals (going through divorce) physically.
This was a great and educational article to read. Really opened up my eyes!
Reyna Ostos
The Twitter account that I follow, the Health Disparities Institute, has been covering this topic, and I believe that it is a very important trend to recognize and address as we continue to face this pandemic. One article shared by HDI addresses how housing insecurity factors into the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and families. As more locations in the United States enforce shelter-in-place policies, it is those who are lower-income who are more likely to be unable to work from home and therefore losing income, thereby becoming less able to pay any mortgage payments or rental fees. Lower-income individuals and families are also more likely to live in locations that may exacerbate present health conditions due to factors such as overcrowding, presence of mold or vermin, or poor ventilation, so sheltering in place poses negative health consequences. Additionally, homeless populations are unable to comply with shelter-in-place policies and therefore adequately protect themselves due to a lack of shelter with adequate space to promote social distancing. Therefore, lower-income and housing insecure individuals are much more likely to face elevated stress, insecurity, and health vulnerability during this time. This is just one dimension in which health disparities are produced by social and economic conditions, but as we continue to move forward and seek out solutions to ameliorate the negative effects of COVID-19 and responses to it, it will be important to remain mindful of how different populations are being affected differently and what needs exist in those populations.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to that article: https://shelterforce.org/2020/03/24/housing-policy-must-change-in-wake-of-covid-19/?utm_source=sfweekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=032620