Introduction: 

Arina: Throughout this course, we have comprehended and recognized countless situations of systemic injustices, rooted in society’s organizational structures, which are further embedded in current laws and regulations. Systemic injustices present in the healthcare system have influenced a multitude of racial disparities by past ingrained policies of a government that have a continuing impact today. In addition, with the current, widespread Covid-19 crisis, racist policies of the past have constructed a decline in health equity, as it emerged into a social and justice challenge of inequalities affecting ethnic and minority groups.

Marissa: I agree, there is a huge injustice present in the healthcare system faced by people of color in society today. Systemic injustice is deeply ingrained racist thinking and actions embedded in the core foundations of American society that have persisted and continue today. With the start of the covid-19 pandemic, our world was sent into a mass panic over available healthcare. The pandemic put the issues of the healthcare system into the spotlight and mass movements for social justice began to expand. These movements include, ‘Black Lives Matter, this is a prominent movement for the fight against racism in our country, which ties into the racism found in our healthcare system. 

Q&A: 

Question: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected disparities?

Arina: Let’s approach this by analyzing this situation of injustices in healthcare, in connection to the current pandemic, by considering the following questions. My thoughts, in regards to how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected disparities lies between evaluating the highlights of the disparities of the structural injustices of health, stemmed from racial discrimination, how does the Covid-19 pandemic affect racial disparities throughout the U.S.

In addition, in an interview with Ruth Faden, spoke about the societal impact of Covid-19 on ethnic and minority groups. In relation to disparities, 

Ruth was asked, “For several weeks, race issues took center stage on the news cycle and COVID was not as intensely in the spotlight, yet there are many ways in which these two dynamics intersect. What connections do you see between the intensified movement for racial justice and how people of color have suffered during the pandemic?”(Turello). In this blog, Ruth Faden discussed her opinion on the topic of race issues in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, in today’s society, there are many racial issues and injustices discussed in similar blogs,  as well as the numerous other problems that they reflect. 

Evaluating Ruth’s interview question, I believe this discrepancy resulted in a significant difference in proportions of population ratios in ethnic and racial minority groups affected by the virus. The identified racial disparities have resulted in an increased amount of hospitalizations as well as mortality rates. Digging deeper into the factors of contribution to an increased risk of contracting the virus would further evaluate in comprehending the racial disparities illustrated in racial minority groups. 

 

Marissa: There are countless disparities seen in the United States, including race, gender, sexual identity, and disability status. With its connection to the healthcare system’s injustices, the recent Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected racial disparities. By analyzing the injustices against minorities in the healthcare system to the current pandemic one can clearly see this strong connection.  

Your evaluation of Ruth Faden’s interview quote is insightful. It is evident through medical reports shown by the media that the racial disparities have caused increased hospitalizations, but more importantly, increased mortality rates. Expanding on your response the connection between the intensified movement for racial justice and people of color suffering during the pandemic can be tied to the death of George Floyd. Mr. Floyd’s death occurred during the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic on May 25th of 2020. Before his death, systemic injustice had been seen in the healthcare system and people of black communities were experiencing this first hand. According to an article written by Sara Rosenbaum, “few aspects of racial injustice and inequity in the United States are better documented than racial inequity in health care”. With the pandemic increasing the documentation of the racial inequality in health care, the untimely death of George Floyd was the final straw, and the fight against racial disparities began in full force. 

kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/racial-disparities-covid-19-key-findings-available-data-analysis/

Question: Factors that contribute to increased risk.

Arina: The factors that contribute to the increased risk of exposure to Covid-19 include socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, community features, poor quality of care, as well as differences in culture and race. Due to America’s history of racism and social inequalities, communities of color have been forced into tightly-packed neighborhoods, resulting in the fueling of the spread of the virus. The disparities of wealth between ethnic minority groups have contributed to leaving these individuals out of jobs, resulting in a decreased access to healthcare. Risk factors such as poverty have shown an increase in the likelihood of becoming sick. Majorities of these individuals are serving as essential workers becoming at higher risk of the virus. The barrier of accessing healthcare has affected these minority groups to acquire insurance and transportation. These factors as well as the racist policies have greatly impacted the areas where minority groups reside. Are there any other factors of disparities that contribute to this risk? Are these factors all systemically rooted from our society?

Marissa: Out of the multiple factors you included that contribute to increased risk of Covid-19, socioeconomic status and access to healthcare are the greatest contributors. People who come from wealth are able to afford expensive healthcare and give their loved ones the best living conditions to avoid getting infected. While poorer people typically live in smaller homes, increasing the chance of spreading the disease amongst members of the household if caught. Also poor minority families have difficulty accessing healthcare, so the people with the highest rates of the disease are the ones that cannot access the needs to get better. These factors are definitely systematically rooted from our society and the new movements brought up during this pandemic are steps in fighting this systemic injustice. 

 

www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/communities-of-color-at-higher-risk-for-health-and-economic-challenges-due-to-covid-19/

Question:What are current federal efforts to address health disparities? 

Arina: The implementation of effective strategies for the prohibition of racial bias and inequalities in the healthcare system, the discussion of racial disparities for the improvement of data systems as well as the advanced method for training medical professionals are solutions for this wrong to be righted. 

Ultimately raising public awareness as well as expanding healthcare coverage would be a step in improving and addressing these health disparities. 

Conclusively, regarding the current federal efforts to address health disparities, do you anticipate that these efforts will work, or contribute to this injustice being mended? What supplementary efforts do you believe can aid in ending this social justice. 

Marissa: Federal efforts to address health disparities are seen through advanced methods for training medical professionals. This means that every person seeking a career in the medical field will be trained to ensure that these disparities do not affect their work, and ability to help others. To expand on your answer about raising public awareness, by increasing people’s awareness of this issue, justice for those that cannot access healthcare will become a reality. 

I believe the current federal efforts to address the health disparities will be positive factors in combating this injustice, however these efforts alone will not be enough to solve this issue. There will need to be a larger emphasis on support from other civilians because these are the people that raise kids to become future doctors, and future government personnel that will mend these injustices. 

https://www.healthpovertyaction.org/news-events/inequality-the-underlying-health-condition-driving-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Question: How can the discussion of this blog be connected with material learned in our class?

Arina: According to this blog’s content, a concept that was learned in class comes to mind in relation to the systemic injustices displayed in healthcare. De Beauvoir’s concept of the “One” vs the “Other” can be illustrated in evaluating this systemic injustice. De Beauvoir’s explanation by “Other” indicates a group of individuals that are defined as inferior in regards to the “Ones” command and authority. This illustration symbolizes an inferiority complex of classification. In simpler terms, the “other” is essential as opposed to the “One” who is essential. Therefore, the connection between de Beauvoir’s concept portrays the ethnic and minority racial groups as the “Other” as opposed to society, its government and laws, as being illustrated as the “One”. Additionally the minority groups are inferior to society due to societies embedding discrimination and injustices through its  political, social, or economic structures. Marissa is there another concept that we have evaluated in class that develops a connection to this injustice?

Marissa: Yes, De Beauvoir’s concept of the “One” vs the “Other” is not the only concept learned in class that can be related to the systemic injustices displayed in the healthcare system. The concept of the subaltern can also be connected to this injustice. The subaltern is a person or group of people that is below the “Other”. These people have no voice and their low social status causes them to be disregarded in society. This can be related to the topic of our blog because the minority groups in our society are disregarded when it comes to fair access to the healthcare system because of their economic status and color of their skin. These people are considered the “Other”, but the women in these groups can be considered the subaltern because these women are fighting against this injustice while also having to fight against the injustice of earning less than men, and truly having no voice. 

Conclusion:

Arina: In conclusion, the effects of racism, discrimination, and systemic injustices played a crucial role factor on the emergence of the Covid-19 disease. The impact of this phenomenon has resulted in a disparity of injustices for minority groups resulting in devastating effects. Therefore in some ways, this pandemic has exposed existing racism and injustices. 

 

Marissa: The pandemic facing our country today has most definitely brought up existing racism throughout our society. Especially the racism seen in the healthcare system, which is even more prominent during this mass health crisis. The inequalities faced by people of color by the American healthcare system contribute to gaps in health insurance coverage and uneven access to services, and has pushed these men and women to protest for their right to equal rights.

 

-Below, we have additionally attached a video summarizing how systemic injustices of racism has impacted minority communities as well as, leading to an increased vulnerability to Covid-19.  

-How systemic racism has led to Covid’19’s rapid spread amount people of color: USA TODAY

Reference Page:   

“Covid-19 Will Hit the Poor Hardest. Here’s What We Can Do About It.” World Bank Blogs, https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/covid-19-will-hit-poor-hardest-heres-what-we-can-do-about-it 

“Eliminating Inequity in Health Care Demands Measurement in Real Time.” Milbank Memorial Fund, https://www.milbank.org/quarterly/opinions/eliminating-inequity-in-health-care-demands-measurement-in-real-time/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhMOMBhDhARIsAPVml-GBWSyuzj7XeNlWHy3eoC3hvMFG1joCpzKhqsjc1FvI1UhIQTRKUYgaApm1EALw_wcB  

Taylor, — Jamila, et al. “Racism, Inequality, and Health Care for African Americans.” The Century Foundation, 1 Nov. 2021, https://tcf.org/content/report/racism-inequality-health-care-african-americans/  

 Turello, Dan. “Covid-19 and the Racial Justice Movement: An Interview with Ruth Faden.” Covid-19 and the Racial Justice Movement: An Interview with Ruth Faden | Insights: Scholarly Work at the John W. Kluge Center, 2 July 2020, https://blogs.loc.gov/kluge/2020/07/covid-19-and-the-racial-justice-movement-an-interview-with-ruth-faden/  

“Un Should Speak up on Covid-19 ‘Pandemic of Human Rights Abuses.’” Human Rights Watch, 24 Feb. 2021, https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/02/24/un-should-speak-covid-19-pandemic-human-rights-abuses?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-K2MBhC-ARIsAMtLKRsXg77JnMa-MVgvX2PGaYFW7TyplPOIWuQtpASWiIu3qRwKhDTWpo4aAl3BEALw_wcB