Why COVID-19 actually represents 2 crises
Key Takeaways
While stunned and reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. finds itself embroiled in another crisis. Protests over the killing of George Floyd have erupted across the country, many turning violent with stores looted, police vehicles burned, and even shots fired. The second crisis, unfortunately, is not new, but one that has reached a tipping point. The issue of race in America isn’t explicitly a health crisis, but in the weeks and months ahead it likely will be impossible to separate it from the pandemic. COVID-19 has already exposed inequities in our healthcare system, as well as risk posed by the virus itself.
But more on that later. Here’s what you might have missed this weekend.
Weekend headlines
The New York Times reports that researchers are questioning a hydroxychloroquine study published in Lancet. The study, which had an accelerated peer-review process, concluded that the drug didn’t help COVID-19 patients recover and that it may have increased cardiac complications and death. At issue are the facts that study authors won’t say which hospitals contributed data and where those hospitals are located.
Researchers are cautioning that COVID-19 may cause long-term illness, the Washington Post reports. Symptoms may look similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to church attendance restrictions.
The Jersey Shore is mostly open and beachgoers are returning, the Asbury Park Press reports. New York City beaches are closed. The city itself is expected to open June 8. As summer approaches and crowd sizes swell, what remains to be seen is how well people adhere to social distancing regulations, and how easily enforceable those regulations are.
A similar trend is emerging in other beach communities. The New York Times reports that in Ocean City, Maryland, where social distancing regulations remain in place and officially, the state is still in the initial phase of its reopening strategy, mask-wearing isn’t widespread and many businesses are enforcing their own pell mell hygiene and distancing requirements.
Interesting things are happening to the housing market, Vox reports. While it initially took a hit, like everything else in the early days of COVID-19, prices appear to have stabilized as homebuyers re-enter the market. Housing inventory remains low at the moment, indicating sellers may be reluctant to have strangers traipsing through their homes during the pandemic.
NPR reports that Peter Salk, an M.D. and son of Dr. Jonas E. Salk, famous for developing the polio vaccine, has some insights on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Bloomberg reports that a state-owned Chinese news agency is saying the nation will have a vaccine ready by the end of the year.
Looking ahead
Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on this week:
Race and COVID-19
It’s impossible to separate the COVID-19 crisis from America’s race crisis. A weekend New York Times article explains this succinctly. If anything, the virus served as a national amplifier of inequality. For many with white-collar jobs, work and wages continued. Not so for non-essential blue-collar workers, who are more likely to be black or hispanic, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, blue collar workers who can work -- such as restaurant workers, grocery store clerks, and contractors deemed essential -- are forced to confront the brutal realities of the virus daily, all for wages that are disproportionately lower.
Pandemic-related joblessness has hit blacks and latinos hardest, according to a recent Department of Labor report. While 14% of white Americans are out of work, the figure stands at 16.7% for African Americans and 18.9% for Latinos. These are record numbers.
Finally, there are the direct health-race implications to consider. Early indicators suggest that COVID-19 death rates among blacks are higher than other races across the U.S. Take Illinois, for example. The state is 60.9% white, 17.3% hispanic or Latino, and 13.8% black or African American. Yet, blacks account for 29.6% of the deaths and hispanics 19.4%, the most recent data show. Whites account for 43% of the deaths. The New York Times reports that in Minneapolis, where George Floyd was killed, African-Americans comprise 35% of COVID-19 cases despite the fact that they represent less than 20% of the total city population.
The Takeaway: The health crisis and race crisis are inseparable. It’s a critical time for physicians of all races to work to resolve both. Additionally, it’s now more important than ever to prioritize inclusivity in medicine itself and to listen to the views and perspectives of physicians of color.