Systemic Racism Is Killing Black People During the Pandemic
Coronavirus exacerbated already existing racial health disparities. Here’s what needs to be done.
As Covid-19 infections continue spreading across the country, it’s become clear that the burden of coronavirus is not being felt equally across racial lines. According to CDC data on Covid-19 hospitalization during the month of March, 33% of hospitalized patients were black despite only being 18% of the surveyed population. And a recent preprint study from Yale School of Medicine found that blacks had a 3.57 times higher risk of dying from Covid-19 than whites. For Latinos, the risk was 1.88 times higher.
It’s been noted that Blacks and Latinos are more likely to be essential workers, which means they may be at a higher risk for exposure to the coronavirus. But experts say much of the racial disparity being observed in Covid-19 infections and deaths can actually be traced to pre-existing racial inequities related to so-called “social determinants of health.” “Level of educational attainment, neighborhood resources, employment status, and ability to earn a living wage are all social determinants of health in the United States,” explains Jessie Marshall, MD, an associate professor at the University of Michigan, adding that “racism is driving the racial…
