BEAUTY + WELLNESS
THE IMPACT IMPACT OF OF THE
COVID-19 ON BLACK
INDIVIDUALS Claudia Ugbana The recent pandemic is further proof of how racism and inequality affects Black individuals within the U.S.
I
n March 2020, the world was taken aback by the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to be a problem today. The connection between racism and the effects of the pandemic, mortality rates and the impact of infection
vary and are difficult to quantify, but the correlation is undeniable. During the early days of the pandemic, many forms of media reported that Black individuals were more likely to be infected with the coronavirus and much more likely to die from the virus than other racial groups. After a dive into the ins and outs of racial disparities surrounding the virus, it became apparent why. Black individuals were found to have underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus as a result of social and economic issues. While most people initially thought this was as a result of biological factors, systemic racism is the primary cause.
35 | VINDICATOR
How does systemic racism play into the coronavirus? For decades, the American healthcare system has continuously failed Black individuals: from health insurance coverage issues to lack of readily available resources to poor health conditions to decades of abuse and illegal experimentation on Black individuals. The coronavirus pandemic proves to be no different as Black people are once again overlooked. Social factors, including economic disadvantages and lack of access to proper health care, can all impact a person’s life — this is the reality Black individuals are facing during the raging pandemic. For example, the National Data for the U.S reported that Black individuals make 59 cents for every dollar a white individual makes. The lack of financial stability in Black households has played a significant role in high death rates, as they are forced to work during a pandemic. While socio-economic issues do play a major role in the effects of COVID-19 among Black individuals, this is not the central issue. The discrimination that occurs within the healthcare system within the U.S. is paramount. First, hospitals lack diversity among leadership personnel, affecting the patients. The large gap in the ratio of white to Black doctors in medical facilities across the country causes patient-physician relationships to remain strained as Black patients are unable to fully trust the physicians hired to treat them.
“
—lack of financial stability in Black households has played a significant role in high death rates, —forced to work during
“
WRITTEN BY
a pandemic.
