Your Experience with Coronavirus (COVID-19) Matters
BY CLAUDELLE PARCHMENT, PHD
A
s the world watches with bated breath, looking at the slow and steady march of Coronavirus (COVID-19) across fragile human bodies, we pause, only for a moment to acknowledge a public health infrastructure that is overwhelmed in what it was designed to do—to prevent emerging infectious diseases from marshalling through and negatively impacting the population. This shortcoming is more evident in the African American community and the more recent “voluntary” and refugee diasporic populations, such as those from east Africa or the Caribbean, where the plight of disparity in health, illness, and health care is ever present, and is only acknowledged when their stories found plastered across the news or on social media. COVID-19 has highlighted and magnified the plight of the diasporic
population’s health, access to, and use of health care, even though many health professionals were keenly aware, yet have little to no solution to address the disparity. The issue is further compounded by misconceptions that circulated
COVID-19 has highlighted and magnified the plight of the diasporic population’s health, access to, and use of health care, even though many health professionals were keenly aware, yet have little to no solution to address the disparity. throughout the community about the origin of COVID-19, its transmission, and the risks associated with it among other
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confounding factors, thus leading to the disproportionality of the African diaspora affected by COVID-19. The African diaspora is now keenly aware that those misconceptions are not true and are empowered to embrace the fight to preserve life. The African diaspora has to now work twice as hard to change the narrative about COVID-19 circulating through the community, through the use of storytelling and shared experiences. The Diasporic population has not been asked to share their stories through the normal channels, but the diaspora can change this narrative by collectively sharing their stories with each other as it relates to COVID-19. It’s time to shed the stigma and shame surrounding illnesses, that keeps the diaspora in a stupor of fear that prevents the community from speaking
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