The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (aka coronavirus, covid, or miss rona) has impacted so many in just 3 short months.
Not only has it highlighted how broken the US healthcare system is, but it has also disproportionately impacted vulnerable populations and people of color, specifically. And thank goodness Dr. Fauci brought it up on national television, because the public health impacts of this virus on minorities, African Americans especially, are honestly OC (out of control)! "In Chicago, more than half of all COVID-19 positive test results and 72% of recorded virus-related deaths have been among African Americans, who make up just 32% of the city's population and 15% for the state of Illinois."
I've talked about a racist health care system in combination with systematic inequities in previous blog posts, but as the data comes in by the day, the disparities have never been so clear. But why is a disease that doesn't discriminate impacting African Americans the worst???
COVID-19 is especially dangerous and in some cases lethal for vulnerable peoples with preexisting health conditions. According to the CDC, excluding this whole corona mess, African Americans suffered from chronic illnesses at a significantly higher rate than white individuals.
And as if that is not enough, its no secret that many people of color lack easy access to healthcare or have lower quality social determinants of health.
These are just a few examples of things that can impact a person's health. And that's without the threat of a global pandemic! It was already an uphill battle!!! AND NOW THIS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE!
As Dr. Fauci noted in one of the million press briefings he has using to support the US during this pandemic, "it really does have, ultimately, shine a very bright light on some of the real weaknesses and foibles in our society. Health disparities have always existed for the African American community". "But here again, with the crisis, how it's shining a bright light on how unacceptable that is".
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