COVID-19
A coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 caused the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in China before spreading worldwide in 2020. This global pandemic was not equally destructive, however. The virus itself was more harmful to elderly people and those with pre-existing health conditions. However, economic and racial inequalities prevented some people from accessing necessary screening, treatment, or vaccines or following medical advice such as social distancing or quarantining. Medical racism also played a role during COVID-19, and some Black patients formed support groups after the medical system ignored them. The pandemic also highlighted how some medical equipment worked poorly for Black patients.
Nearly 7 million people died of COVID globally, with millions more surviving the disease that raged for multiple years. In the United States, Black people remained at risk while others decreased their concern, which was entirely warranted. African Americans experienced a higher death rate due to COVID-19 than other races, and many struggle with the effects of long COVID. Lingering illness and disability have removed some people from the workforce, while others struggle financially under the weight of caring for or losing others in their households. Funding intended for Black Americans to help mitigate these harms resulted in lawsuits. Similarly, money intended for COVID-19 support was rerouted to prisons, which had already contributed to the rapid-fire spread of COVID-19.
The pandemic prompted a shift to virtual learning, working, and communication. While some welcomed this shift, it further highlighted economic disparities for others. This also resulted in learning setbacks for students. Meanwhile, COVID-19 resurfaced distrust between the Black community and the medical establishment that stems, in part, from the Tuskegee experiment.
COVID-19 was also the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement, which grew after video of the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer surfaced online.
Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’
How ‘Medical Gaslighting’ Ignores Black Women With Long COVID
Dr. Margot Gage Witvliet, PhD, developed Long COVID in 2020, facing medical gaslighting and discovering shared experiences in dozens of women & BIPOC. Dr. Gage Witvliet learned that medical gaslighting is an insidious phenomenon which disproportionately impacts women and BIPOC. Medical professionals frequently tell female patients with Long COVID and other invisible illnesses that their symptoms are “all in their heads” while treating male counterparts with contrasting, scientifically sound approaches.
Read More3 BLACK STUDENTS THAT HELPED DEVELOP THE FIRST COVID-19 VACCINE HAVE EMOTIONAL REUNION AT MOREHOUSE
Three Black students who helped develop the first COVID-19 vaccine reunite for the first time since their collaboration at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
Read MoreThis Condition Makes You 75% More Likely to Get Long COVID
Research shows that sleep apnea, common in the Black community, is making people more susceptible to long COVID.
Read MoreAngel investing in Black startups plummeted after 2020. These investors are trying to reverse the trend.
Black entrepreneurs ma have great ideas, but the need capital, something which hasn’t been easy to find, to get them off the ground.
Read MoreBlack Students Are Still Experiencing Pandemic Trauma
COVID-19 is still wreaking emotional havoc on Black students, who already struggle with the implication of race in school.
Read MoreA growing push to fix pulse oximeters’ flawed readings in people of color: ‘This can be dangerous’
The FDA is finally considering what to do about pulse oximeters, which do not work as well for people with darker skin.
Read MoreMassive learning setbacks show COVID’s sweeping toll on kids
COVID has only further increased racial inequalities in education according to a new report from the Associated Press.
Read MoreFederal government taken to court for reworking Black farmers debt relief program
Black farmers are taking a stand against the government, which rescinded funding for Black farmers hard hit by COVID.
Read MoreFor Black-owned businesses, concerns extend beyond inflation, supply chain issues
Black business owners are feeling the crunch caused by the impending recession, and it has many of them worried about their futures.
Read MoreBlack Covid long-haulers felt invisible to the health care system, so they formed their own support groups
Patients like Chimére Smith pleaded with doctors to take their COVID-19 symptoms seriously. When ignored, they went online for support.
Read More