Effects of COVID on a Population
The article under consideration written by Tai et al. (2020) dwells upon the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on such groups as African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics. Tai et al. (2020) note that these groups proved to be specifically vulnerable. It has been estimated that almost 22% of COVID-19 cases reported in the USA were African Americans, while almost 34% were Latino Americans. Moreover, the mortality among African Americans is twice higher than among Whites. This disproportion is partially attributed to certain biological and medical peculiarities of these populations. For instance, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and coronary artery disease prevalence are higher among African Americans.
Social Determinants of Health and Population
At the same time, Tai et al. (2020) argue that social determinants also have a substantial impact on the spread of COVID-19. Minority groups, such as African Americans, Latino Americans, and Native Americans, are at a higher risk of being infected due to their housing peculiarities. These groups have to live in quite crowded communities being exposed to infectious diseases (Tai et al., 2020). These populations tend to have limited access to high-quality healthcare services. Their cultural peculiarities (diet and lifestyle) contribute to people’s inadequate attention to their health or preventive measures. Tai et al. (2020) mention that minorities have lower access to information regarding the pandemic, health concerns, and possible preventive measures. One of the ways to address this health disparity, as seen by Tai et al. (2020), is healthcare professionals’ advocacy. The authors also note that the quality of provided care may be hindered by clinicians’ biases, based on the lack of cultural awareness of the medical staff. Therefore, it is important to address these gaps and use all opportunities that may arise when providing care to COVID-19 patients pertaining to a minority group.
Reference
Tai, D. B. G., Shah, A., Doubeni, C. A., Sia, I. G., & Wieland, M. L. (2020). The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 1-16. Web.