Introduction
About 20 percent of U.S. counties are disproportionately Black to which one in five of these counties being predominantly Black they had accounted for more than half of all COVID 19 diagnoses and 60 percent of overall deaths. Health disparities of the Black community is evident, finding that a higher proportion of Black residents in a county was associated with higher rates of COVID-19. These disparities stem from underlying social, environmental, economic, and structural inequities (i.e., unemployment rates among Black folks, greater numbers of individuals within the Black community without health insurance, medical racism).
Importance
The long historical mistreatment of Black Americans within the entirety of the medical establishment evidently unveils the mistrust of the system by the Black community to which it then heightens the impact of COVID-19 times upon them and their abilities to stay safe and healthy. Black Americans are more likely than whites to get seriously ill and die from COVID-19. Historical mistreatment shows how merely 42 percent of Black Americans claimed they were willing to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Studies have shown that COVID patients who are Black were less likely to receive medical follow-ups leading to an extended time for them to recover.
Misconceptions and Conclusion
Severe economic impact and difficulties to recover in a timely manner back to work. Black folks, in terms of work, still continue to face the highest rates of unemployment. COVID-19 rates and deaths in predominantly Black counties have been misrepresented to be due to underlying health conditions, but it’s much rather a linkage to social conditions and structural racism.
References
- Elsevier. "Assessing COVID-19's Impact on Black Communities." Elsevier Connect. December 07, 2021. https://www.elsevier.com/connect/atlas/assessing-covid-19s-impact-on-black-communities.
- "Black Covid Patients Receive Fewer Medical Follow-ups, Study Shows." NBCNews.com. October 08, 2021. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-covid-patients-receive-fewer-medical-follow-ups-study-shows-rcna2774.
- Broady, Kristen E., and Carl Romer. "Despite June's Positive Jobs Numbers, Black Workers Continue to Face High Unemployment." Brookings. July 02, 2021. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/07/02/despite-junes-positive-jobs-numbers-black-workers-continue-to-face-high-unemployment/.
- Fletcher, Michael A. "Poll: Black Americans See a Health-care System Infected by Racism." History. May 03, 2021. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/black-americans-see-health-care-system-infected-racism-new-poll-shows.
- "Understanding and Ameliorating Medical Mistrust Among Black Americans." Commonwealth Fund. January 14, 2021. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2021/jan/medical-mistrust-among-black-americans.