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Communities of color have experienced disproportionate effects from both the coronavirus and its economic fallout. Marginalized populations, defined by the National Institutes of Health as those who are “excluded from mainstream social, economic, educational, and/or cultural life,” tend to have less access to health care and are more likely to live at lower income levels, increasing their chances of getting sick, staying sick and experiencing both short- and long-term economic hardships. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities | Vulnerable populations have less access to resources, said clinical associate professor Annette Johnson in a University of Illinois study. These populations struggled before the pandemic, but, Johnson said, “During a health crisis such as this, the situation becomes exacerbated in many marginalized communities.” (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The social determinants of health | Black people are three times as likely to be hospitalized with coronavirus than white people, and Hispanic people are two times more likely to die than white people from coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Conditions where populations live and work affect their health and comprise what the CDC calls the “social determinants of health.” (Mark Ralston /AFP via Getty Images)
Lack of health insurance endangers some | Potential financial strain can prevent people without insurance from seeking medical attention, according to a University of Illinois study. One in 10 people in the U.S. don't have health insurance, which makes them less likely to have a primary care physician, and minorities account for more than half of the uninsured population. About 10% of Black people are uninsured, compared to 6% of white people, according to the Office of Minority Health Resource Center at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. People who have a primary care physician are more likely to receive regular care, preventive screens and consistent disease management. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Lack of health insurance endangers some | Potential financial strain can prevent people without insurance from seeking medical attention, according to a University of Illinois study. One in 10 people in the U.S. don’t have health insurance, which makes them less likely to have a primary care physician, and minorities account for more than half of the uninsured population. About 10% of Black people are uninsured, compared to 6% of white people, according to the Office of Minority Health Resource Center at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. People who have a primary care physician are more likely to receive regular care, preventive screens and consistent disease management.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Lack of health insurance endangers some | Just over half of the Black population has private insurance compared to two-thirds of the white population. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act, and 43% of Indigenous people rely on Medicaid or public coverage. Hispanics have the highest uninsured rate of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S., with only 50% of the population having private insurance. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP via)
Lack of health insurance endangers some | Just over half of the Black population has private insurance compared to two-thirds of the white population. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act, and 43% of Indigenous people rely on Medicaid or public coverage. Hispanics have the highest uninsured rate of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S., with only 50% of the population having private insurance. (Sandy Huffaker/AFP via)
Language barriers lead to vulnerability | Census data shows that 72% of Hispanics speak a language other than English at home, and 30% stated that they are not fluent in English, according to the HHS. A 2020 study found that language barriers between patients and health care providers contributed to lower rates of satisfaction and increased duration of treatment. In the early days of the pandemic, The Hill reported that the federal government did not prioritize communicating information about mask-wearing and large gatherings in languages other than English. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)
Language barriers lead to vulnerability | Census data shows that 72% of Hispanics speak a language other than English at home, and 30% stated that they are not fluent in English, according to the HHS. A 2020 study found that language barriers between patients and health care providers contributed to lower rates of satisfaction and increased duration of treatment. In the early days of the pandemic, The Hill reported that the federal government did not prioritize communicating information about mask-wearing and large gatherings in languages other than English. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)
Service workers are more vulnerable | According to 2017 census data, 25% of Hispanics worked within service occupations, compared to 15% of whites. Cashiers, restaurant workers and home care aides earn less and depend on close human contact for their livelihoods, putting them at greater risk for virus exposure, according to Politico. Black people made up 12% of all employed workers but accounted for more than one-quarter of those in several service occupations, including home health aides (36%) and nurses (30%) in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Service workers are more vulnerable |
According to 2017 census data, 25% of Hispanics worked within service occupations, compared to 15% of whites. Cashiers, restaurant workers and home care aides earn less and depend on close human contact for their livelihoods, putting them at greater risk for virus exposure, according to Politico. Black people made up 12% of all employed workers but accounted for more than one-quarter of those in several service occupations, including home health aides (36%) and nurses (30%) in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Low incomes lead to health deterioration | In a survey conducted by The Conversation, 38% of total respondents reported a deterioration in mental health since the onset of the pandemic, while 44% of people living in poverty reported a deterioration in mental health. Those living in poverty are already at a disadvantage with uncertainty and worry causing stress, according to PBS. In 2019, about 19% of Black people and about 16% of Hispanic people lived in poverty compared to about 7% of white people, according to census data.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Low incomes lead to health deterioration | In a survey conducted by The Conversation, 38% of total respondents reported a deterioration in mental health since the onset of the pandemic, while 44% of people living in poverty reported a deterioration in mental health. Those living in poverty are already at a disadvantage with uncertainty and worry causing stress, according to PBS. In 2019, about 19% of Black people and about 16% of Hispanic people lived in poverty compared to about 7% of white people, according to census data.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Pre-existing conditions prevalent among vulnerable populations | The CDC says any preexisting condition, such as obesity, diabetes or heart conditions, increases risk of complications from COVID-19. Indigenous people are 50% more likely than white people to be diagnosed with heart disease, including heart failure, coronary artery disease and hypertension. For Black men in America in 2016, nearly a quarter of all deaths resulted from heart disease, and nearly 60% of both Black men and Black women have hypertension. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Pre-existing conditions prevalent among vulnerable populations | The CDC says any preexisting condition, such as obesity, diabetes or heart conditions, increases risk of complications from COVID-19. Indigenous people are 50% more likely than white people to be diagnosed with heart disease, including heart failure, coronary artery disease and hypertension. For Black men in America in 2016, nearly a quarter of all deaths resulted from heart disease, and nearly 60% of both Black men and Black women have hypertension. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Incarcerated people are a marginalized population | While spaces like grocery stores mark out 6 feet of distance with floor decals, social distancing is nearly impossible to practice in jails, prisons and detention centers. As of December 2020, 1 in 5 prisoners had tested positive for COVID-19, and 1,700 had died, according to the Associated Press. The New York Times reported that 626,000 people have been infected and at least 2,790 inmates and correctional officers have died in American jails and prisons as a result of the coronavirus. While Black and Hispanic people comprise a third of the U.S. population, these groups make up more than half of the prison population, according to the NAACP. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)
Incarcerated people are a marginalized population | While spaces like grocery stores mark out 6 feet of distance with floor decals, social distancing is nearly impossible to practice in jails, prisons and detention centers. As of December 2020, 1 in 5 prisoners had tested positive for COVID-19, and 1,700 had died, according to the Associated Press. The New York Times reported that 626,000 people have been infected and at least 2,790 inmates and correctional officers have died in American jails and prisons as a result of the coronavirus. While Black and Hispanic people comprise a third of the U.S. population, these groups make up more than half of the prison population, according to the NAACP. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)
Women are exiting the workforce | Women are bearing the brunt of the effects of lockdowns, school closures and pandemic-related uncertainty, according to a survey released by the U.S. Census Bureau in March of 2021. This time period saw the active employment of mothers fall more drastically than that of fathers, at 21 percentage points versus 15 percentage points, respectively. The most common reasons were that mothers were more likely to have worked in jobs impacted by pandemic closures and mothers typically carry a heavier child care burden. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Women are exiting the workforce | Women are bearing the brunt of the effects of lockdowns, school closures and pandemic-related uncertainty, according to a survey released by the U.S. Census Bureau in March of 2021. This time period saw the active employment of mothers fall more drastically than that of fathers, at 21 percentage points versus 15 percentage points, respectively. The most common reasons were that mothers were more likely to have worked in jobs impacted by pandemic closures and mothers typically carry a heavier child care burden. (John Moore/Getty Images)