Following the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25, protests sparked in all 50 states. These large gatherings nationwide have prompted some to voice concerns about a resurgence of COVID-19; but the protests and the virus are more connected than many may realize.

When the coronavirus started infecting people all over the world, it became evident that the virus did not discriminate. Individuals of every race and diverse nationalities were affected. That said, some communities in the U.S. have been hit harder than others by a significant margin. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study of 580 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 that included race and ethnicity data. It revealed that Black people are overrepresented among hospitalized patients compared to other ethnic groups. In New York City specifically, Black Americans are leading in death rates, followed by Hispanic/Latino Americans. In other locations, such as Chicago, Black Americans have higher rates of infection despite representing a lower percentage of the local population. Prominent factors include little to no access to healthy food and lack of environmentally-friendly living.

Food deserts, or areas that have limited access to healthy and affordable food, disproportionately affect certain communities. The economic-redevelopment organization REV Birmingham conducted the Urban Food Project, discovering that in Alabama’s most populous city, most food deserts were found in areas where the majority of the residents are Black or Latino. Despite these problems, the city’s food scene has been lauded by blogs and critics. This is not an isolated circumstance. Grocers prefer economically-thriving neighborhoods, and many Black Americans are fighting systematic, economic challenges, such as racial pay gaps, in addition to the gender pay gap.

As for their living environments, the NAACP and Clean Air Task Force investigated this in 2017 and found that over a million Black Americans live “within a half-mile of an oil and gas facility.” Being in proximity to fossil fuels for an extensive period of time can lead to asthma, increased risk of lung cancer and heart problems. A food desert can further exacerbate cases of obesity, diabetes and heart and kidney problems.

Pre-existing conditions, like the ones listed above, increase risks for individuals who contract COVID-19.

There are some unavoidable risks at the protests, such as close proximity to others, as well as chanting and yelling, which emit more respiratory particles than regular talking. But risks at protests are heightened further when police utilize pepper spray and tear gas, which inevitably induce coughing and thus further the emission of respiratory particles –– not to mention when police cram protesters on buses or in jails, which is itself a problem. According to a Reuters report released May 18, at least 14,000 jail inmates in 20 counties have been released due to COVID-19. Sending an influx of people back into jail counters the prevention efforts taken earlier this year.

Many now wonder about the increased virus risks that may result from these massive gatherings of people, but Americans, specifically Black and Latino Americans, have already been living with these increased risks every day. And the disparity in healthcare is one of many injustices at stake.

What remains to be seen is if Americans can learn something about the problems that pervade healthcare, and if increased exposure to these issues will foster further investment in finding solutions to fill the gap.

Protests Highlight Healthcare Disparities

MARIST CIRCLE