Pandemic Brings Racial, Economic Healthcare Disparities Into Focus
As the United States prepares for what could be the worst week yet of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, national attention has been focused on the disease’s current epicenters in New York and New Jersey. However, across the country, the pandemic is slowly seeping into the nation’s economically vulnerable populations and is already taking a toll on minority communities.
As the United States prepares for what some experts warn could be the
However, across the country, the pandemic is slowly seeping into the nation’s economically vulnerable populations and is already taking a toll on minority communities.
Due to a lack of CDC data on race and COVID-19 mortality, it is difficult to know the extent to which minority populations are suffering. Last week, 5 congressional Democrats
Compounding the issue, official death counts are likely
To make up for the lack of national data, some states, counties, and municipalities, including Illinois, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, have taken it upon themselves to track the virus’ impact on minority populations. Underlying chronic medical conditions like diabetes and lung disease may
Early data, published by
“In Milwaukee, simply being black means your life expectancy is 14 years shorter, on average, than someone white,” according to ProPublica. As of April 2, “19 people had died of illness related to COVID-19 in Milwaukee County. All but 4 were black… Records show that at least 11 of the deceased had diabetes, 8 had hypertension, and 15 had a mixture of chronic health conditions that included heart and lung disease.”
In addition, ProPublica reports “African Americans have gravitated to jobs in sectors viewed as reliable paths to the middle class—health care, transportation, government, food supply — which are now deemed ‘essential,' rendering them unable to stay home.”
Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare are a persistent and critical problem facing the country. As The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®)
Native Americans also are particularly at risk of experiencing devastating consequences of COVID-19. “When you look at the health disparities in Indian country—high rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, asthma, and then you combine that with the overcrowded housing situation where you have a lot of people in homes with an elder population who may be exposed or carriers—this could be like a wildfire on a reservation and get out of control in a heartbeat,” Kevin Allis, chief executive of the National Congress of American Indians, told
Currently, “American Indians are 600 times more likely to die of
Largely reliant on the hospitality and casino business, the shutdown of the US economy is poised to cripple Native American populations economically, with the Cherokee Nation already reporting a
Individuals representing populations of American Indians and Alaskan Natives are
Americans residing outside of the contiguous United States also face unique challenges. In Puerto Rico, an island where 72 of 78 municipalities are considered medically underserved, “The main concern is whether this pandemic would be the last straw that causes the collapse of our healthcare system," said Victor Ramos, MD, president of Puerto Rico’s Physicians Association, according to
Advocates fear the island will again be left behind by the United States, leaving its most vulnerable citizens to suffer, USA Today
In addition, the island is still recovering from Hurricane Maria, which struck in 2017 and claimed over 3000 lives. The hurricane, along with the over 1000 earthquakes that have already hit the island this year, also took a toll on the island’s infrastructure.
Transferring patients and medical supplies in the event of a severe outbreak will stretch the island’s already thin resources. Compounding the economic impact of the pandemic is a shortage of doctors and nurses who have historically left the island to seek better opportunities. Strict
Not only could the pandemic disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, but lower-income individuals of all races throughout the country may fare worse in the long run. Pockets of the rural South are
Ebony Hilton, MD, an anesthesiologist at the University of Virginia Medical Center,
Rural areas have less dense populations, meaning they are lower on the list when it comes to prioritizing government equipment. It has also been documented that individuals in rural areas have worse health than the general population. “The reason for this
“With many Southern states only recently implementing stay-at-home orders, hospitals and local officials fear even sparsely populated counties could soon have more cases than their health care systems can handle,” Politico
Social distancing remains the standard and most effective practice to help flatten the curve of patients with COVID-19. By doing so, healthcare systems will be tasked with treating a steady flow of patients over a longer period of time, as opposed to surges that risk patients receiving suboptimal care as a result of supply and staff shortages.
“The best indicator of who is at risk,”
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