Why do some groups of people get Covid-19 at a higher rate than others? I’m thinking about communities of color in particular. Does it have to do with their actual immune response, or is it more about their access to resources, or… something else?
Chris Kemp, M.S.:
Higher rates of infection in black communities are a true symptom of systemic inequality. It has nothing to do with their immune response.
Generally speaking, [due to a history of systemic inequality,] people of color disproportionately occupy lower socio-economic groups. As a result, they're more likely to live in communal housing and in multi-generational households, with fewer opportunities for social distancing.
Many of them are employed in jobs that provide fewer opportunities to work from home, or to stay home and receive sick pay when sick, and are less likely to have health insurance. They're more likely to rely on public transport where social distancing is difficult.
The risks of infection are also less likely to be communicated adequately to them. The resources they need to prevent infection — such as masks and sanitizers — are less readily available to them.
Finally, if they get sick, research shows they're less likely to receive adequate care.
What's more, the co-morbidities that increase the chances of a negative outcome, such as diabetes and obesity, have a higher incidence in black populations. Literally nothing is weighted in their favor during a pandemic.
Resources:
AXIOS: The coronavirus economy will devastate those who can least afford it
The Colorado Trust: Pandemics Thrive on Inequality
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus: Resources for Homeless Shelters
Nonprofit Quarterly: COVID-19: Using a Racial Justice Lens Now to Transform Our Future
Health Affairs Blog: Health Justice Strategies To Combat COVID-19: Protecting Vulnerable Communities During A Pandemic
Health Equity: Responding to Healthcare Disparities and Challenges With Access to Care During COVID-19
Health Equity Initiative: COVID-19 Is a Health Equity Issue
Health Equity Initiative: Paid Sick Leave Policy and the Impact on Health Equity
Human Rights Watch: US: Address Impact of Covid-19 on Poor
Kaiser Family Foundation: Key Facts about the Uninsured Population
The Marshall Project: Tracking Prisons' Response to Coronavirus
Pew Research Center: As coronavirus spreads which U.S. workers have paid sick leave - and which don't
World Economic Forum: Coronavirus: A pandemic in the age of inequality
World Heart Federation: Preventing COVID-19 spread in poor areas
ReachMD: Not Just a Pandemic: Why COVID-19 Is a Health Equity Issue
Region 2 Public Health Training Center (PHTC): COVID19: Using a Health Equity and Human Rights Lens to Protect Vulnerable Populations during this Pandemic and Beyond